History

After the university was reestablished in 1962, the Faculty of Philosophy was temporarily housed in a wide variety of buildings throughout downtown Salzburg. Due to the cramped conditions there and the significant fragmentation of the university’s departments, a discussion soon arose regarding the construction of a new campus. The planned locations included both Nonntal/Freisaal and Leopoldskron.

After several planning proposals and major public protests (including the formation of citizens’ initiatives and a public referendum), a building for the newly established Faculty of Natural Sciences was finally completed in 1986 (the institutes of the Faculty of Humanities were housed in adapted historic buildings in the Old Town as part of the “Old Town University” concept).

The faculty building was designed by the University of Salzburg Architects Group (Holzbauer/Hübner/Ekhard/Marschalek/Ladstätter), which had formed in 1974. It housed all the institutes and facilities of the Faculty of Natural Sciences with the exception of computer science, as well as the university’s Central IT Service.

Due to the faculty’s rapid growth, the building eventually faced space constraints. Consequently, parts of the research operations were relocated to Itzling. There, on the Techno-Z site, the so-called “Science City” was established.

Technical data: Institute area 19,900 m², General spaces 27,830 m², Underground parking garage (293 (Passenger cars) 7,110 m², Botanical Garden 20,000 m², Site area 45,000 m².

The Faculty of Natural and Life Sciences has over 4,000 students and thus accounts for a large proportion of the total student body of 13,000 at Paris Lodron University.

In addition to various administrative units, such as the branch library, IT Services, the faculty office, and the Examinations Office, three of the six departments in this faculty are now housed in the building on Hellbrunner Strasse following the faculty reorganization in the year 2022: the Department of Biological Sciences and Medical Biology, the Department of Psychology, and the Department of Environment and Biodiversity. The Department of Chemistry and Physics of Materials is located in Science City in Itzling. The Department of Forensic Medicine is housed in the Christian Doppler Clinic, and the Department of Sports and Movement Science is located at Rif Castle.

The Faculty of Natural and Life Sciences is an outstanding research institution, maintaining high standards for scientific publications and demonstrating exceptional success in securing research grants from international and national funding agencies, as well as from industrial partners. This impressive research output also benefits students, who receive instruction that draws on current research and enjoy numerous opportunities to work on interesting projects. In light of this success, University of Salzburg, supported by the federal and state governments, has invested significantly in further development to ensure that the Faculty of Natural and Life Sciences remains a leading center for scientific research and education.