The Gustav Siewerth Academy (GSA) is a

private university Private universities and private colleges are institutions of higher education, not operated, owned, or institutionally funded by governments. They may (and often do) receive from governments tax breaks, public student loans, and grant (money ...

based in Weilheim-Bierbronnen in Baden-Wuerttemberg,

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

, dedicated to promote a Christian

world view A worldview or world-view or ''Weltanschauung'' is the fundamental cognitive orientation of an individual or society encompassing the whole of the individual's or society's knowledge, culture, and point of view. A worldview can include natural p ...

. The university became recognized as an institution of higher education in Germany in 1988. However, that recognition is disputed. The Academy is named after

philosopher A philosopher is a person who practices or investigates philosophy. The term ''philosopher'' comes from the grc, φιλόσοφος, , translit=philosophos, meaning 'lover of wisdom'. The coining of the term has been attributed to the Greek th ...

and

pedagogue Pedagogy (), most commonly understood as the approach to teaching, is the theory and practice of learning, and how this process influences, and is influenced by, the social, political and psychological development of learners. Pedagogy, taken as ...

Gustav Siewerth and with only 13 students in 2012–13, was the smallest state-recognized institution of higher education in Germany. The Academy was created to counteract the neo-Marxism views of the

Frankfurt School The Frankfurt School (german: Frankfurter Schule) is a school of social theory and critical philosophy associated with the Institute for Social Research, at Goethe University Frankfurt in 1929. Founded in the Weimar Republic (1918–1933), dur ...

Theodor W. Adorno Theodor W. Adorno ( , ; born Theodor Ludwig Wiesengrund; 11 September 1903 – 6 August 1969) was a German philosopher, sociologist, psychologist, musicologist, and composer. He was a leading member of the Frankfurt School of critical t ...

and Max Horkheimer. The Academy was founded as a "breeding ground of the truth" by Alma von Stockhausen, previously Professor of Philosophy at the University of Education Freiburg. She is vice rector of the Academy. Remigius Bäumer, the founding principal of the academy, served as the church historian.

History

The Academy was founded in 1988 under private ownership. Legal and financial support is provided by a non-profit

limited liability company A limited liability company (LLC for short) is the US-specific form of a private limited company. It is a business structure that can combine the pass-through taxation of a partnership or sole proprietorship with the limited liability of a ...

(Gustav-Siewerth House gGmbH). The religious focus of the Academy is predominantly

Catholic The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

. Although the Academy is non-denominational, it is a member of the

Forum of German Catholics The Forum of German Catholics (german: Forum Deutscher Katholiken) is a conservative Catholic lay organization in Germany. It was founded in 2000 in opposition to the Central Committee of German Catholics. History and function The Forum of ...

. The college has a rector, vice-rectors, deans of a University senate and a registrar. The honorary rector is Count Albrecht von Brandenstein-Zeppelin. Chancellor of the Academy is the

Archbishop of Freiburg The following men have been archbishops of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Freiburg. References SourcesArchdiocese of Freiburg- catholic-hierarchy.org {{Hierarchy of the Catholic Church in Germany Freiburg Freiburg im Breisgau (; ...

and head of the German Bishops' Conference,

Robert Zollitsch Robert Zollitsch (born 9 August 1938) is a German prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He was Archbishop of Freiburg im Breisgau from 2003 to 2013 and was Chairman of the German Episcopal Conference from 2008 to 2014. Life and work Zollitsc ...

. Courses are offered in Philosophy, Sociology and Family Studies with majors in Catholic theology and pedagogy. Minor subjects are offered in the philosophy of science and journalism (Giessen model). The Master of Arts (MA) can be awarded. The University is not accredited to award doctorates. The University has established other institutions such as the Department of Family Science, the Institute for Luther research, the Institute of Hagiography, the Institute for Scientific border issues and the Institute for Ostwissenschaft.

References

External links

Official website of the Gustav Siewerth Academy
Waldshut Universities and colleges in Baden-Württemberg {{Germany-university-stub