This is our story.

What started in one classroom in 1984 now occupies two campuses. In the last four decades, the school has evolved into an institution renowned for educating some of today’s most brilliant entrepreneurs, researchers, creatives, and thought leaders.

Introduction

It was Udo Glittenberg, a former faculty member at the European Business School, and Karl Darscheid, then the Director the IHK Koblenz, who made it their mission to address a lack of economic expertise in the younger generation. In 1983, the academic landscape in Germany—and indeed across the whole world—was very different to how it looks today: The country was still divided between the East and the West, the economy was still hurting from the effects of the oil crisis, and people in Europe were skeptical of the concept of private schools. Yet, Glittenberg and Darscheid were convinced their idea would be of great benefit to the world of business. And they found an ally in Hans Anton “Hanno” Ludwig, the president of the IHK Koblenz at the time.

By January 1984, Ludwig, Darscheid, and Glittenberg, with the support of the IHK Koblenz, had succeeded in bringing their vision to life.

The Beginning

1984

After a year of discussions with the local government in Rhineland-Palatinate and the IHK Koblenz, the school’s founders hold a largescale press conference in Bonn (at the time, the federal capital of West Germany) to announce the birth of the Wissenschaftliche Hochschule für Unternehmensführung—or WHU.
The school opens its doors to its first ever cohort, a group of 48 students, who begin their studies at the site of a decommissioned elementary school in Koblenz-Karthause. The only established chair is the Chair of Marketing, led by Professor Sönke Albers, the school’s first appointed professor.
The foundation Stiftung Wissenschaftliche Hochschule für Unternehmensführung (WHU) is founded. It is a charitable foundation registered under German law in Vallendar, Germany. Its main purpose is to fund and support WHU – Otto Beisheim School of Management, one of Germany's leading business schools. As a private school, WHU receives no government funding. Approximately 60 percent of the school's funding needs are met by the income generated from the Foundation’s financial assets, as well as by endowments and donations from the business world and individuals.
Hans Ludwig is the first Chairman of the Board of the WHU Foundation, with Klaus Darscheid as his deputy until his departure in 1988.

1985

WHU enters into its first agreements with schools outside Germany, including ESC Lyon in France and the University of Buckingham in the United Kingdom, to allow students an opportunity to attend classes abroad.
The first official meeting of the Board of the WHU Foundation takes place.

1986

The first iteration of WHU’s Doctoral Program makes its debut.

Welcome to Vallendar

1987

WHU comprises five chairs.
The school receives approval from the Ministry of Education that allows for habilitation procedures.
WHU welcomes its first international exchange student, coming from Ontario-based Queen’s University at Kingston (Canada).

1988

After four years in Koblenz-Karthause, the school moves to Schloss Marienburg in Vallendar.
WHU starts offering its “placement service,” which would later evolve into two Career Centers—one in Vallendar and one in Düsseldorf.
The alumni of the first cohort found In Praxi, WHU’s independent alumni association. Since its inception, In Praxi has sponsored over 60 students and helped them participate in WHU’s academic programs.

1991

WHU debuts its first tailor-made programs for businesses. These Customized Programs would become an integral part of its Executive Education offerings.

A New Era at WHU

1993

Professor Dr. h.c. mult. Otto Beisheim (†), founder of Germany’s most prominent wholesale company Metro, donates 50 million Deutschmark (today, accounting for inflation, worth roughly €46.5M) to the school. To honor his support, the school’s name is officially changed to WHU – Otto Beisheim School of Management.
Hannjörg Hereth becomes Chairman of the Board of the WHU Foundation, with Dr. Jürgen Heraeus, Hubert Scherer, and Dr. Ludwig-Georg von Wartenberg as his deputies until his departure in 1999.

1997

WHU partners with the esteemed Kellogg School of Management of Illinois (USA) to venture further into the market for executive education, which at that time was mostly unexplored in Europe. The two schools’ joint Executive MBA is born of a close collaboration between Professor Horst Albach (†) and Dean Emeritus Donald Jacobs (†) of the Kellogg School of Management.
www.whu.edu (formerly whu-koblenz.de) makes its debut on the World Wide Web.
WHU hosts the first Eurosport event, which would evolve into WHU Euromasters, one of the school’s largest student clubs.

1998

The school’s first cohort, graduates from WHU. Among them are some of today’s most prominent entrepreneurs in Germany, including Oliver Samwer, co-founder of Rocket Internet.

Acing the Test

1999

WHU successfully completes its first EFMD Quality Improvement System (EQUIS) review process and receives accreditation for five years. WHU would go on to successfully renew its status through to the present day.
The school’s claim, “Excellence in management education,” is born. These words continue to define WHU’s ethos today.
Hans Dieter Cleven becomes Chairman of the Board of the WHU Foundation, with Professor Erich Greipl (†), Dr. Jürgen Heraeus, and Hans-Jürgen Podzun as his deputies until his departure in 2002.

2000

WHU takes another step toward becoming more globally connected. All active professors must be certifiably able to conduct courses in English.
WHU joins the German Research Foundation (DFG), which funds scientific projects, defines standards for conducting research, and dialogues with policymakers.

2002

Professor Erich Greipl (†) becomes Chairman of the Board of the WHU Foundation, with Professor Klaus Brockhoff, Hans-Jürgen Podzun, and Heinz-Michael Schmitz as his deputies until his departure in 2013.

2005

The school receives its accreditation from the Foundation for International Business Administration Accreditation (FIBAA), which it has successfully maintained ever since.
WHU welcomes its first cohort of full-time MBA students to its campus in Vallendar.
WHU holds a ceremony to commemorate the arrival of its first ever cohort of bachelor students to follow the Bologna standard.

Welcome to Düsseldorf

2006

WHU becomes a member of the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB).

2008

WHU appoints its first assistant professors (“Juniorprofessoren”).
WHU welcomes its first cohort of students enrolled in its Master of Science program.

2010

For the first time, WHU reaches #1 in Germany in the European Business School Ranking published by The Financial Times.
The school reaches a total of 1,000+ enrolled students for the first time.
WHU receives accreditation from AACSB, a status it has maintained ever since.
With the goal of bringing its Part-Time MBA to a larger city in Germany, the school begins a two-year trial program at a hotel located in Düsseldorf, North Rhine-Westphalia.

2012

WHU officially opens Campus Düsseldorf, a chic and modern second location that will welcome students to its MBA and Executive Education programs.
The school expands its Executive Education portfolio with its Open Programs, designed for experienced professionals seeking to expand their managerial knowledge.
The WHU Incubator GmbH is founded. Initially a part of Professor Christoph Hienerth’s Chair of Entrepreneurship and Creativity, by the end of the decade, it would evolve into the WHU Entrepreneurship Center, headed by Maximilian Eckel.

Expanding the Portfolio

2013

WHU splits its singular Master of Science into two distinct study programs: the Master of Management and the Master in Finance. This change allows the school to tailor the curricula and better meet the needs of each program’s respective cohort.
Dr. Toni Calabretti and Dr. Fredy Raas join the Board of WHU Foundation. Dr. Calabretti becomes Chairman, eventually with Manfred Sattler, Susanne Sczesny-Oßling, and Stephan Joannes Theissing as his deputies. Established in 1984, the non-profit WHU Foundation is the sponsor of WHU – Otto Beisheim School of Management.

2014

The school’s Bachelor Program is now also offered fully in English.

2019

WHU welcomes its first cohort of students enrolled in its Customized Master in Management and Entrepreneurship, held on Campus Vallendar and in Berlin.
The school opens its Welcome Center, whose mission is to assist incoming faculty and staff members with their onboarding and, wherever applicable, help acclimate them to life in Germany.

Defining the New Normal

2020

The COVID-19 pandemic hits the world and requires the closure of most major institutions, WHU included. The school succeeds in immediately transitioning to an online format that allows classes to continue.
To address the on-going pandemic, WHU debuts its Global Online MBA, allowing students to earn their degree in a fully digital setting.

2021

The school reaches a total of 2,000+ enrolled students for the first time.
WHU launches a Chinese-language website to serve incoming students from Asia.
The school’s Master in International Business makes its debut.
WHU welcomes its first cohort of part-time Master in Management students.

2022

The school reaches #13—its highest position to date—among all schools listed in the European Business School ranking published by the Financial Times.
With the pandemic having severely disrupted common workplace standards, the school debuts its Bachelor in Business Psychology to address growing market demand for those who can define (and design) the “new normal.”
Campus Düsseldorf expands through the leasing of the Bogenhalle.

2023

Professor Christian Andres’s first term as Dean of WHU coincides with the debut of the Core Leadership Team, marking a new era of management for WHU. Professor Nadine Kammerlander, as part of this new team, becomes the school’s first ever Associate Dean DEI & Sustainability.
The Sustainability Management Center, spearheaded by Professor Nadine Kammerlander debuts.
WHU welcomes its first cohort of students enrolled in its Master in Business Analytics.

Today and Tomorrow

2024

WHU celebrates the milestone of its 40^th anniversary with a number of events—and with impressive numbers.
After its humble beginnings in 1984, WHU today is home to 1,989 students and over 50 professors.
The school’s research efforts are organized into 6 academic discipline groups—Economics, Entrepreneurship and Innovation, Finance and Accounting, Management, Marketing and Sales, and Supply Chain Management—comprising over 50 chairs, centers, and institutes.
The school, now spread across two campuses, offers a diverse portfolio with twelve degree programs, a doctoral program, short-term summer programs, exchange programs, and a wide range of customized and open executive education programs.
The students participate in more than 30 student clubs, getting involved in a diverse set of extra-curricular projects.
Many of the school’s graduates are now active in senior management in Germany and around the world, a testament to the successful, practice-oriented education that takes place on its campuses. Together, they form a strong network that sets WHU apart.
The school’s reputation as a start-up incubator can be attributed to the more than 1,500 companies founded or co-founded by WHU alumni—and the resultant 96,000 jobs those businesses have generated.

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