Chemistry at university level in West Germany

Abstract

First let me remind you in a brief historical introduction that Justus von Liebig while lecturing as a professor of chemistry at the University of Giessen (1821—1852) and subsequently in Munich (from 1852) organized in a remarkably effective way the academic training of students of chemistry in the past century by introducing regular laboratory courses and synchronized lectures. His system served as a model on which the training programmes for chemists at other German universities were shaped. In order to coordinate the work at German universities and to permit students to change universities the 'Verband der Direktoren selbstandiger Unterricht-Institute fur Chemie an deutschen Universitaten' (Association of directors of independent chemical institutes at German universities)— ADUG—was founded at the beginning of the present century and set up mandatory guidelines for a first and a second examination under the auspices of the Association. Such examinations had to be passed prior to the preparation of a doctor's thesis. By government decree these 'examinations under the auspices of the Association' (Verbandsexamen) were extended in 1938 to include an examination for a Diploma in Chemistry. For this educational system basic subjects for a student are inorganic, physical and organic chemistry as well as physics, which are all included in the first pre-examination taking place after roughly four or five semesters. This is followed by laboratory courses, lectures and advanced classes which lead up to the final examination, held after another three semesters in inorganic, organic and physical chemistry (frequently also in technical chemistry as a fourth subject at technical institutions). The final step is a 'Diploma thesis', written in the course of one to two semesters, after additional experimental laboratory work by which the candidate is expected to show that he is able to deal with a chemical problem applying scientific methods and to present his thoughts in an adequate way. A student should take about ten semesters or five years to graduate as a 'Diplom-Chemist', but frequently six years or more are required. One of the problems is to reduce this time to a maximum of ten semesters. Only a small percentage of students finished their studies with the diploma in chemistry in the past. As a rule, students prefer to write a doctor's thesis on a higher scientific topic under the direction of a professor of chemistry. An average of two years is required for this work. Hence, to reach the doctor's degree the student generally needs seven to eight years of university studies. At the end of the 1939—45 war the chemical institutes of German universities and technical academies of university standing were found to be