Historical awareness
Creating identity through symbols
The University of Würzburg’s annual Foundation Day marks a deep engagement with the university’s history.
Cultivating a culture of remembrance and community
However, it is not only shared remembrance and a return to one’s own roots, but also an ongoing tradition – and the way in which this is nurtured and communicated to the public – that shapes a university’s identity. These elements define its character and the image it wishes to project. But how does an institution that wishes to market a product which cannot be experienced visually make an impression on the outside world? The product – the education to be imparted – is presented to the public through the people involved: the teaching staff, the student body and the support staff. But it is not only the university community that conveys a certain image to the wider world; the university’s buildings also serve, to varying degrees, as a means of representation and provide a setting for those who teach and learn.
Highlighting common ground through symbols
The university logo, in turn, also serves as a point of connection for all the institutions and individuals involved, even outside the university. It serves both to establish identity and to facilitate recognition. For example, when used as a letterhead, it can symbolically visualise the sense of belonging within a community. It is therefore of particular interest to explore the origins of this and other representative symbols.
If one embarks on such a journey of discovery, one can make some astonishing discoveries. For instance, it has almost been forgotten that academic gowns originally represented the status of university professors and that students, too, adhered to a certain dress code in order to be recognised in their role as members of the university. However, other traditions, such as the use of sceptres and seals, also served to represent and foster identification with certain symbolic values.
The various symbols and insignia of the university, which once shaped its image both internally and externally, have survived to the present day in very different ways. Some have been completely forgotten, others require care and greater awareness, and a few still survive in contemporary use. All, however, deserve attention and appreciation, not only within but also outside the university, as the profile of a higher education institution continues to be shaped by its history.
