On this day (2 December) in 1409, Leipzig University (Universität Leipzig or UL) was founded by Frederick I, Elector of Saxony, along with his brother William II, Margrave of Meissen. This venerable institution is one of the world’s oldest universities by consecutive years of existence and the second-oldest in Germany: scholars at UL have engaged in teaching and research for over 600 years without interruption. The Alma mater Lipsiensis was originally comprised of the four scholastic faculties: Arts, Theology, Medicine, and Law. Today, it is spread across 38 locations in Leipzig and comprises 14 faculties, 460 professorships, and 30,000 students! Notable alumni include Tycho Brahe, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Gottfried Wilhelm von Leibniz, Angela Merkel, Friedrich Nietzsche, Leopold von Ranke, Robert Schumann, and Richard Wagner, among many others.