The University of Applied Sciences Mittweida is the second-largest public university of
applied sciences in Saxony. It has had almost 80,000 alumni from almost 40 countries worldwide. Founded in 1867 as
Technicum, the university first served the education of machine-building engineers, and it was one of the largest private schools in Germany at the turn of the century. After the takeover by the
National Socialists, the Technicum lost its status as a private school, and in 1935 became the Engineering School Mittweida (Ingenieurschule Mittweida). In the 1960s, due to the success of the electrotechnical training program, the school became the Engineering College Mittweida. In 1980, it received the right to award the academic degree of doctor engineer. In 1992, after
reunification, the college received a new start as a university of applied sciences. [citation needed]
Famous graduates
August Arnold (1898-1983), co-founder of ARRI, developer of the first single-lens reflex camera
Rento Hofstede Crull [
nl] (1863-1938), Dutch electrical pioneer who first studied at Mittweida and then at the Hannover Technische Hochschule (now
Leibniz University Hannover) in the 1880s,[3] came first to the United States in the 1890s to work for
Elihu Thomson and
Thomas Alva Edison, then briefly left for Moscow to establish its first power station, and thereafter came back to the Netherlands to create its power grid and several companies, among them the
Heemaf [
nl] which was responsible for the invention of the first no brake motor in 1921; he perfected the process for making the manufacturing of
rayon viable (See
AkzoNobel and the
American Enka Company).
August Horch (1868–1951), the father of the German automotive giant
Audi, studied at the Technicum from 1888-1891. Horch developed the first six-cylinder engine in 1907. The designation Audi is the Latin translation of the name Horch (having to do with hearing).
Walter Bruch (1908–1990) studied from 1928-1931 in Mittweida, before he invented the
PALcolor television system. The PAL system is in about 60 countries, the most widespread colour television system worldwide, aside from NTSC and SECAM.
Gerhard Neumann (1917–1997) studied from 1936-1938 in Mittweida. Hired as a testing engineer at
General Electric, he developed the
J-79 jet engine and led the company's aircraft engine division (which today is called
GE Aviation) as vice president for about 16 years. He received numerous awards, e.g. the
Collier Trophy, awarded by the admission to the
National Aviation Hall of Fame of the US.