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In order to overcome Germany’s international isolation after the First World War and promote exchange between young people, Heidelberg University organized its first International Summer School in 1926. What started with 60 visiting students is today – 100 years later – the oldest and one of the biggest vacation courses at a German university. In this anniversary year again over 430 young people from all over the world are expected in Heidelberg. From 29 July until 28 August 2026 they will get to know the German language and culture in courses, seminars and lectures, as well as in a comprehensive side and excursion program.
Heidelberg, 24 July 2026
Press Release
Centennial of International Summer School at Universität Heidelberg
In 1926 there first came 60 participants from abroad – today the course is one of the biggest of its kind in Germany
In order to overcome Germany’s international isolation after the First World War and promote exchange between young people, Heidelberg University organized its first International Summer School in 1926. What started with 60 visiting students is today – 100 years later – the oldest and one of the biggest vacation courses at a German university. In this anniversary year again over 430 young people from all over the world are expected in Heidelberg. From 29 July until 28 August 2026 they will get to know the German language and culture in courses, seminars and lectures, as well as in a comprehensive side and excursion program.
“The International Summer School at Heidelberg University was a model for success from the start. Every year it offers hundreds of young people from all over the world an opportunity not only to learn German but also to become acquainted with the country, the city and the culture,” underlines Prof. Dr Marc-Philippe Weller, Vice-Rector for International Affairs and Diversity of Ruperto Carola. Contributing to this has, for 100 years, been the combination of language classes, academic lectures, concerts and an interesting program of cultural and social events. “Those completing the course leave Heidelberg as ambassadors for our city and our university,” says Dr Alexander Au, director of Ruperto Carola’s International Relations Division. The enthusiasm of the participants is, not least, shown in the fact that many of them later return to Heidelberg when studying for a degree.
The idea of organizing a summer school for international students arose after the First World War. Academics at Heidelberg University – including eminent researchers like Alfred Weber, Edgar Salin and Arnold Bergsträsser – wanted to revive international exchange. In 1922 and 1923 courses for Scandinavian students arose from their initiative. In 1926 Ruperto Carola hosted the first “summer school for foreigners” – and 60 students came to Heidelberg. The combination auf language classes with a varied side program proved attractive right away. In the second year the number of participants had already tripled, by 1930 it had increased to 300.
In the period of National Socialism ten of the 40 professors offering classes at the summer school were removed from service – this happened to Karl Jaspers and Walter Jellinek, amongst others. The Nazis misused the program for their propaganda, and participant numbers declined. In the war years of 1940 and 1941 the summer school was cancelled and from 1942 to 1945 participants came exclusively from allied or occupied regions. The revived version of the summer school after the Second World War was equally open to students from Germany as well as from other countries – which was intended to contribute to reconciliation. As of 1949 the summer school resumed its traditional format – with international participants only.
Planned from the start for people from all nations, it mainly drew participants from the United States and Europe at first. For example, a registration list from 1928 names 55 students from the United States and 55 from the United Kingdom. The other half of the total of 222 came primarily from western European countries, with a handful from India, Japan, South Africa and Russia. Over the decades the composition of those attending constantly changed. In the 1980s and 1990s many of them came from Italy, while as of the late 1980s the share of students from eastern Europe increased. Meanwhile many participants come from Asia. This y year 82 students are expected from China, followed by Taiwan with 59. In total, participants from 66 countries and from almost every continent will be welcomed in the anniversary year.
The early 21st century saw enrolment numbers for the International Summer School ranging from 500 to over 700. The Covid pandemic in 2020 led to an enforced pause. After starting again with lower figures, interest is now steadily rising again. The German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) has made an important contribution to the success of the program. By annually granting a scholarship it enables 150 to 200 young people to attend. About 60 more participants come from partner universities with which cooperation has in some cases existed for many years.
The approximately 430 participants coming to Heidelberg this year for the summer school – with its overall theme “Germany, between European responsibility and global challenges” – will mostly be accommodated in student residences and private homes. Host families play a significant role in this regard. “By offering a room they provide more than a roof over a person’s head. They contribute to making our international visitors feel at home in Heidelberg and, at the same time, open the possibility of enriching encounters and lively cultural sharing,” says Melanie Le Touze, Academic Director of the International Summer School.
Note for newsrooms:
The history and prospects of the International Summer School are the topic of a panel event (in German) titled “Summer School Centenary: Looking Back to the Future”, to take place on Thursday, 20 August 2026, in Lecture Hall 13 of the New University. It starts at 5.15pm. Media representatives are welcome.
https://www.uni-heidelberg.de/en/international-affairs/international-summer-scho... International Summer School
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