“You find the best at the University of Bremen”

"A wonderful time; part of my life; everything I dreamed of..." When it comes to their university, the alumni of the University of Bremen sing its praises. It’s all there to see on our new "alumni wall", which we created to mark the university's 50th anniversary. Around 100 alumni have already posted their profiles on www.meineunibremen.de, where we spent a little time browsing through the anecdotes.

The “old-timers" still like to think back to the highly political days of the 1970s: "The atmosphere at the university was marked by aggressive fights between political groups. But at the Monday westerns in Gerd Settje's cinema or at the ski camps organised by Willi Lemke in Bettmeralp, everyone was of one heart and soul."

A time that was formative — for life: "The photo 'Geht die rote Uni baden' has stayed with me all my life. That's how students approached me after every class observation day. Or from the medical association, who was our partner in the dual system, the question always came: 'Mr Zachau, is that you?’ Because of that, I never lost my connection to the university."

A reform university with real peculiarities: "I am probably the only student who was kicked out of a lecture for knitting. By the time I took my diploma exam, however, I had stitched together... er... earned Professor Röschenthaler's respect, so he didn't let me fail."

The professor's perspective, though, was not entirely sympathetic: "In the first years, there were students knitting and eating breakfast in seminars; when a student in the front row baptised me with orange juice, my patience was at an end."

A university that literally shaped personal journeys: "It was a special experience for me to defend my bachelor's thesis while heavily pregnant. The stress that fell away afterwards probably helped bring my daughter into the world. That happened three days later and will always remain in my memory."

Students who found personal happiness here, together (and they're not the only ones): "I met my current wife in one of Prof Elsner's courses. We have been together for over 20 years now. You find the best at the University of Bremen!"

Setting off the alarm in the university building, learning to play skat — the personal memories are many: "As students, we always had a barbecue together before Christmas. That was crazy but awesome." Or as one international student puts it in not quite perfect German, but all the more apt for it: "Bremen University doesn't put on the brakes, but full throttle".