Topping-out ceremony anniversary
50 years of the university building have left their mark - in the archive and on the façade
Topping-out ceremony in the inner courtyard of the new building on the Grifflenberg campus on 9 October 1975 // Photo Rainer Haldenwang
Photo Klaus Nölle
50 years ago on 9 October 1975 - also a Thursday - the Gesamthochschule Wuppertal, now the University of Wuppertal, celebrated the topping-out ceremony for the first construction phase on the Grifflenberg campus. Around 1,200 invited guests attended the ceremony, including founding rector Prof Dr Rainer Gruenter and the then NRW ministers Dr Friedrich Halstenberg (Finance) and Johannes Rau (Science).
The official founding date of the Gesamthochschule Wuppertal is 1 August 1972, and thanks to the predecessor institutions, it was also possible to hold lectures immediately: 3,473 students were enrolled in the founding semester. However, the newly founded comprehensive university needed more space and new buildings. The topping-out ceremony for the first construction phase on the Grifflenberg campus took place on 9 October 1975. The meeting point was the building site on the square in front of the university library.
The topping-out ceremony is commemorated in the Wuppertal University Archive not only by photos and newspaper reports, but also by a beer mug given to the guests. It bears the signs of the companies involved in the construction as well as the words "Topping-out ceremony for Wuppertal University of Applied Sciences, 9 October 1975".
Photo University Archive Wuppertal
Photo Loredana Colapietro/University Archive Wuppertal
Photo Loredana Colapietro/University Archive Wuppertal
Refurbishment and modernisation
After more than 50 years, many buildings are showing considerable signs of wear and tear. Around 100 individual measures of various sizes are currently being implemented or in preparation. Building U, for example, will therefore undergo a comprehensive core refurbishment by 2027. Work on the façade of Building G is still ongoing. In addition, several roof areas are being modernised in order to noticeably improve the safety, durability and energy efficiency of the buildings.
In addition to the refurbishment of existing buildings, new buildings are also being constructed. The so-called "Experimental Hall" (Building X) will be completed by the end of 2026. The new building is specially tailored to the needs of physics and offers state-of-the-art laboratory and work areas. "This will significantly expand the infrastructure for research and teaching and further strengthen the position of the University of Wuppertal in the natural sciences," explains University Chancellor Dr Ursula Löffler.
Another focus is on the renovation of the car parks on the Grifflenberg campus. BLB NRW has developed a refurbishment concept for this that will extend into 2030. In order to minimise restrictions for students and employees, the work will be carried out in stages.
