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Strassburg (UNIVERSITY OF a university)

UNIVERSITY OF, a university of Alsace-Lorraine. The institution was first founded as a German university, in 1621, maintaining much of its German character, after Strassburg became French territory in 1681. During the French Revolution it disappeared, but was reopened in 1802 as a Protestant academy, and, in 1808, under the university reforms instituted by Napoleon the First, became part of the University of France. After the Franco- Prussian War it once more became a German university and was reopened in 1872. While the Germans were in possession of Alsace-Lorraine, the imperial government expended large sums of money on the university and it soon became a center of German influence and one of the most flourishing universities.

Previous to the outbreak of the World War, it had about 2,100 students and an annual budget of $400,000. Its library contains more than 600,000 volumes.

As a result of the Peace Treaty of Versailles the institution again became a French university.