page_title: University of Göttingen
section_title: Traditions
hierarchical_section_title: University of Göttingen / Traditions
caption_attribution_description: English: Gänseliesel fountain on the market square in Göttingen. Old townhall in the background.
context_page_description: The University of Göttingen, officially the Georg August University of Göttingen, is a public research university in the city of Göttingen, Germany. Founded in 1734 by George II, King of Great Britain and Elector of Hanover, and starting classes in 1737, the Georgia Augusta was conceived to promote the ideals of the Enlightenment. It is the oldest university in the state of Lower Saxony and the largest in student enrollment, which stands at around 31,600.
  Home to many noted figures, it represents one of Germany's historic and traditional institutions. As of October 2019, 45 Nobel Prize winners have been affiliated with the University of Göttingen as alumni, faculty members or researchers.
  The University of Göttingen was previously supported by the German Universities Excellence Initiative, holds memberships to the U15 Group of major German research universities and to the Coimbra Group of major European research universities. Furthermore, the university maintains strong connections with major research institutes based in Göttingen, such as those of the Max Planck Society for the Advancement of Science and the Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Scientific Community.
context_section_description: The most famous tradition of the university is that PhD students who have just passed their Rigorosum (oral doctoral examination) or dissertation defense sit in a wagon – decorated with flowers and balloons and accompanied by relatives and friends, drive around the inner city and arrive at the Marktplatz – the central square where the old town hall and the Gänseliesel statue are located. The "newly born doctor" shall climb up to the statue of Gänseliesel (a poor princess in an old fairy tale who was compelled to keep geese by a wicked woman and later regained her identity), kiss the Gänseliesel and give bouquets to her.
caption: PhD students who just finished have to kiss the Gänseliesel and give her a bouquet of flowers
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