Intern
DFG RESEARCH GROUP—LASTING LEARNING: COGNITIVE MECHANISMS AND EFFECTIVE INSTRUCTIONAL IMPLEMENTATION (FOR 5254)

Würzburg and Social Program

Würzburg

Würzburg is a city of about 125,000 people in the region of Franconia in Northern Bavaria. With a history that dates back more than 1,300 years, Würzburg is offering many famous sights, most notably the Würzburg Residence, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The University of Würzburg, founded in 1402, is one of the oldest universities in Europe. More than 30,000 students make for a lively city with a rich and vibrant cultural, pub, and club scene.

Würzburg has many famous attractions. The Würzburg Residence, built in the early 18th century and a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1981, is the city's most prominent attraction.

Other top sights include the Marienberg Fortress overlooking the city and the Old Bridge ("Alte Mainbrücke"), the best place to enjoy a glass of Franconian wine. Würzburg's market place boasts the St. Mary's Chapel ("Marienkapelle") and the House of Falcon ("Falkenhaus"), while the Pilgrimage "Käppele" Church offers a great view of the old town. Many churches, courtyards, fountains, and town houses can be found in the city. Another highlight is the Old University, which was built in 1582 and today houses the Law Faculty of the University of Würzburg.

Click here for an overview of Würzburg's main attractions.

The Julius-Maximilians-University (JMU) Würzburg is one of the oldest universities in Europe and rich in tradition. With 14 Nobel Prize Winners, the JMU belongs to one of the top research institutions in Germany. Here is a short list of the well-known alumni/alumnae and researchers associated with the university:

  • Safiye Ali, Turkey’s first female doctor, earned her doctorate in Würzburg, dedicated herself to advancing medical education for women in Turkey
  • Alois Alzheimer, German psychiatrist and neuropathologist, who identified Alzheimer's disease
  • Jean-Marc Ayrault, Prime Minister of France from 2012 to 2014
  • Katja Becker,  a German phyisist and biochemist, serving as the president of the German Research Foundation 
  • Ernst Bloch, German Marxist philosopher
  • Beatrice Edgell was the first woman to earn a doctorate (“The Limits of Experimentation as a Psychological Method”) at the University of Würzburg. In 1927 Edgell became the first woman in Great Britain to be appointed professor of psychology, and she became, among other things, president of the British Psychological Society (1930).
  • Werner Heisenberg, German theoretical physicist, Nobel Prize winner in Physics 1932
  • Oswald Külpe, German structural psychologist, founder of the Würzburg School of Psychology
  • Klara Oppenheimer, studied medicine in Würzburg, was the first female doctor with her own practice in Würzburg, a teacher and women’s rights activist, died in the Theresienstadt concentration camp in 1943
  • Erika Simon, a German classical archaeologist, held the Chair of Classical Archaeology at the University of Würzburg from 1964 until her retirement. As one of the first women in such a position in Germany, she had a great influence on the careers of many classical archaeologists in the German-speaking countries. Her list of publications shows almost 400 publications up to 2013
  • Rudolf Virchow, German doctor, anthropologist, pathologist, prehistorian, biologist, known as the "father of modern pathology"
  • Wilhelm Conrad Röntgen, German physicist and detector of X-rays, Nobel Prize in Physics 1901
  • Klaus von Klitzing, German physicist, Nobel Prize winner in Physics 1985
  • Max Wertheimer, German psychologist, was one of the founders of Gestalt psychology
  • Harald zur Hausen, German virologist, Nobel Prize winner in Physiology or Medicine 2008

The Department of Psychology at the University of Würzburg was founded in 1896 and is one of the world's oldest academic institutions devoted to the scientific study of human cognition and behavior. Today, the department is endowed with 13 professorships and numerous post-doctoral and doctoral positions. The department has a strong focus on experimental approaches to psychology and offers a rich and diverse research environment.

Click here for an overview of the history of the Department of Psychology in Würzburg, and here for an overview of its current structure and research areas.

Around Würzburg, there are many vineyards and numerous small, ancient villages. Since many of them lie on the Main, they invite you to relax and to walk on the riverside. Veitshöchheim, about 15 kilometers from Würzburg, is home of the Summer Residence of the former prince-bishops of Würzburg. Rothenburg ob der Tauber with its world-famous medieval old town, and the city of Nuremberg are only a 60-minute drive away.

 


Social Program

We have organized a social program around the classes to provide additional opportunities for socializing and exploring the beautiful surroundings of Würzburg.

On Sunday, October 8, 2023 at 17:00, we will start with a welcome reception at Röntgenring 10, 97070 Würzburg (room 122). Please make sure to arrive at least 30 min early to pick up your name tags and “Welcome packet” at the reception desk in the foyer of the Külpe Hörsaal. This will be followed at 18:00 by a guided tour of Würzburg’s old town (duration: 1 hour). The tour will include a selection of the most important sights. Afterwards we will meet at 19:15 at the restaurant Alte Mainmühle.

On Tuesday, you will have the opportunity to join a guided tour of the Center for the History of Psychology at the University of Würzburg, which houses one of the world’s largest collections of exhibits on the history of psychology (duration: 1-1.5 hours). We are pleased to highlight that the upcoming exhibition “The Scholar's Room” will feature the original desk of Hermann Ebbinghaus, the renowned pioneer of memory research, matching the autumn school’s theme.
In the evening, join us for a fun evening (starting 19:00)  at the Standard  (Oberthürstraße 11A), one of Würzburg’s legendary student bars – the more, the merrier! Dinner is available for those who wish to eat, and it will be self-pay.

On Wednesday, after the keynote lecture by Prof. Alexander Renkl at 11:00, we will take a boat tour from Würzburg on the River Main past vineyards and the Oberzell Monastery to the town of Veitshöchheim (duration: 45 minutes). Here we will visit the former summer residence of the prince-bishops of Würzburg and have a guided tour of the rococo courtyard garden of Veitshöchheim Palace. After lunch at 13:30 at the restaurant Fischerbärbel, we will return by boat to Würzburg. After the boat tour, you will have a second opportunity to join a guided tour of the Center for the History of Psychology at 17:00. 

On Thursday we meet for a wine tasting and tour of the oak barrel cellars of the Bürgerspital Würzburg (19:30 – 22:00) at the main entrance Röntgenring 10, near the Welcome Reception. Together, we will head to the Bürgerspital, corner Theaterstraße/Semmelstraße. Win tasting will be self-pay (32 Euro per person in cash). Be sure to have dinner beforehand.

 

Go back to website of the Department of Psychology IV , University of Würzburg (Prof. Dr. Tobias Richter)