The ”Free University of Berlin“ (FU Berlin) is a German public university and is located in the residential garden district of Dahlem in southwestern Berlin. It is, with 230 buildings and over 31,000 students, the biggest out of the four universities in Berlin.
In 1948 FU Berlin was founded because of the growing communist influence at the “Unter den Linden University“ in the Sowjet sector of the divided city of Berlin. At that time, many students and scholars wanted to study and carry out research at a university, which is free of political influence. So the University got the name Free University of Berlin. Based on its founding tradition, FU Berlin bears the Latin terms for Truth, Justice, and Liberty. During the 1960s, the university was the scene of student protests that provided the impulse for more openness, equality, and democracy in the whole country.
FU Berlin helps to prepare students for their careers and encourages the formation of companies by its students, graduates, and faculty with special programs. With 130 partnerships worldwide, FU-Berlin is one of the first choices for international exchange programs. The FU Berlin has also a partnership with EWHA Womans University EWHA’s President Lee Bae-yong visited the FU-Berlin last year, which strengthened this relationship.
Since 2007 the university presents its Freedom Award to personalities who have made a special contribution toward the cause of freedom. South Korea’s former President Kim Dae-Jung (1925 - 2009) was the first person who received this Award for his sunshine policy which remembers German people at Willy Brandt’s east policy while Germany was divided into two countries.
Daniel Ploss is currently studying at Ewha as an exchange student.