The history of the university originates in the 3rd century A.D., a time of strong Roman influence, starting with university-like institutions which offered studies in Latin, Greek and Rhetoric. Trier, which had become a very important Christian centre in Western Europe in the Middle Ages, had several monastic schools continuing the academic tradition in philosophy, theology and grammar.

On March 16th 1473, a college was founded which is supposed to be the most direct predecessor of the contemporary University. It consisted of four faculties, i.e. theology, law, medicine and philosophy.
Its seal, which is still the seal of the university, bore the following inscription: “Treveris Ex Urbe Deus Complet Dona Sophiae”, meaning “God accomplishes the gift of wisdom from Trier (to the rest of the world)”.
After the French occupation in 1794, however, academic education in Trier was stopped by closing the College in 1798. It was not until the middle of the 20th century, after a few unsuccessful attempts to re-open a university, that the Theology Faculty opened in 1950. Twenty years later, the “Double-University” Trier - Kaiserslautern was founded. In 1975 the joined school was separated into two independent universities, and since then Trier has hosted an academic learning institution of its own again.

The University today

The University of Trier, located at the edge of the city, also meets the demands of the future: its compact and decidedly modern architecture houses six faculties with a great variety of study subjects (see below), a University library with a computer centre providing internet-access, the University sports facilities and student hostels to name only a few.
Nowadays, roughly 12,500 students including 500 students and academic staff from foreign countries liven up the campus site on the hill.