University of Bonn

The University of Bonn marks the beginning of Friedrich Nietzsche’s university education and the first recorded turn in his academic and religious course: he arrived to study theology and philology, then left the following year after abandoning theology and losing his Christian belief.

Nietzsche’s Studies at Bonn

In 1864, Nietzsche entered the University of Bonn as a student of theology and philology. The two subjects placed religious study alongside the classical scholarship that would define his academic path; the chronology records no further details about his coursework or university life.

Departure for Leipzig

At Easter in 1865, Nietzsche abandoned theology after losing his Christian belief. He then left Bonn for Leipzig, following Friedrich Ritschl, his former tutor in philology. The move thus joined a break with theological study to a continuation of philological training under a teacher he already knew.

Place in Nietzsche’s Early Biography

Bonn’s significance in the account is concentrated in this brief transition rather than in a detailed portrait of the institution. Nietzsche’s entry in 1864 and departure in 1865 establish the setting for a decisive change: he moved away from theology while remaining within philology, and transferred his studies to Leipzig with Ritschl.