"Dem lebendigen Geist" Campaign
Renovation and modernisation of the New University
Following the example of the fund-raising campaign led by Jacob Gould Schurman in 1928 for the initial construction of the New University, the “Dem Lebendigen Geist” initiative was aimed at acquiring the funds so urgently needed to renovate and modernise the university’s largest lecture hall building in time for its official reopening for the 625th anniversary of the founding of Ruperto Carola.
Dem lebendigen Geist. New University 2011+
Under the patronage of Dr. Helmut Kohl, former German Chancellor and alumnus of Heidelberg University, the campaign, one of the largest fund-raising projects in the history of the university, was launched in 2009. “Dem lebendigen Geist”, or “To the living spirit”, the inscription above the portal of the New University, gave the campaign its name. The dedication originated with the famous literary historian and Heidelberg German Studies Professor Friedrich Gundolf, one of the most renowned scholars of the Weimar Republic.
Approximately 8 million euros of the 11 million required to complete the project came from private donors, companies and foundations. At the outset of the campaign, the state of Baden-Württemberg promised another three million euros should the university succeed in raising the remaining funds through donations. Heidelberg University owes a debt of deep gratitude to all the friends and sponsors who supported us in so many different ways, thus making this dream a reality.
The major components of the renovation and modernisation project included:
- Renovation of major portions of the building’s interior (lecture halls, foyers)
- Renovation of the facade and roof
- Installation of an elevator for the disabled
- Restoration of the exterior grounds
- Modernisation and expansion of fire safety facilities
- Modernisation of the media technology
