Leibniz University Hannover

Leibniz University Hannover (German: Leibniz Universität Hannover), also known as the University of Hannover, is a public research university located in Hanover, Germany. Founded on 2 May 1831 as Higher Vocational School, the university has undergone six periods of renaming, its most recent in 2006.

Leibniz University Hannover is a member of TU9, an association of the nine leading Institutes of Technology in Germany. It is also a member of the Conference of European Schools for Advanced Engineering Education and Research, a non-profit association of leading engineering universities in Europe. The university sponsors the German National Library of Science and Technology, the largest science and technology library in the world.

The roots of the university begin in the Higher Vocational College/Polytechnic Institute (Höhere Gewerbeschule/Polytechnische Schule), founded on 2 May 1831. In 1879 the Higher Vocational School moved into the historic Guelph palace (Welfenschloss), which was specially converted for the purpose.

On 1 April 1879, the Higher Vocational School became the Royal College of Technology (Königliche Technische Hochschule). In 1899 Kaiser Wilhelm II granted the College of Technology a status equal to that of universities and the right to confer doctorates. The college was reconstructed in 1921 with the financial support of the College Patrons' Association. As of 1 July 1922, there were three faculties: Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Civil Engineering, and Mechanical Engineering.

In 1968 the Faculty of Humanities and Political Science were founded and the Technische Hochschule ('Technical College' or 'Technical University') became the Technische Universität Hannover ('Technical University Hannover').

Between 1973 and 1980 the faculties of Law, Business and Economics, and the formerly independent Teachers Training College were added to the university and in 1978 the Technische Universität Hannover was renamed Universität Hannover ('University of Hannover'). Student numbers exceeded 30,000 for the first time in 1991.

On the 175th anniversary of the institution in 2006, the 'University of Hannover' was given the name Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Universität Hannover, or Leibniz Universität Hannover for short. While 64 students first attended the Vocational School, today the university has around 27,200 students, more than 3,400 academics and scientists, and 160 departments and institutes.^{[failed verification]}

The Senate of the university voted in April 2006 to rename the University of Hannover to Leibniz Universität Hannover. Following agreement by the Leibniz Academy on the use of the name, the Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Universität Hannover received its name on the 360th anniversary of Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz's birth. The brand of the university is Leibniz Universität Hannover.