The University of St.Gallen (HSG) is one of the oldest business schools there are and was the first of its kind to be founded in Switzerland. It was founded in 1898, when the Grand Council of the Canton of St.Gallen decided to establish an "academy for trade, traffic and administration " in the city of St.Gallen. 2023 will be a special year for the HSG as we celebrate our 125th anniversary.
In the year of our 125th anniversary, a wide range of events will provide an opportunity to celebrate together - and to get to know the HSG better, which has been deeply rooted in St.Gallen and the region for 125 years. Take the opportunity to discover your HSG.
In the course of the year, we will announce further events and other highlights on this page. So it's worth checking back here more often.
Publications and brochures
Special insert St.Galler Tagblatt "125th anniversary of the University of St.Gallen" (in German)
“The Canton of St.Gallen is proud of its HSG – congrats! In addition to outstanding specialists, it makes an important contribution to the added value of the region and radiates excellence beyond Switzerland. Many thanks to all who contribute to this.”
Stefan Kölliker, Cantonal Education Minister and Chairman of the University´s Board of Governors
“HSG is usually mentioned in the same breath as the world cultural heritage site of the Abbey District. Thanks to its 3500 employees and over 9500 students from all over the world, our city is a vibrant place. I congratulate you most sincerely!”
Maria Pappa, Mayor of St.Gallen
“HSG shapes eastern Switzerland – as a leading business university with international appeal and as a first-class educational institution for business. As a co-founder, we congratulate, wish success and persistence in striving for the best.”
Markus Bänziger, Director St.Gallen-Appenzell Chamber of Commerce and Industry (IHK)
“FC St.Gallen 1879 warmly congratulates the 19 years-younger university and wishes HSG continued success at training young professionals into becoming leaders with clear values.”
Matthias Hüppi, President FC St.Gallen 1879
“I learned a lot during my studies at the HSG, especially for the restructuring of the princely companies. I am very grateful for that. I wish the HSG that it continues to prepare its students to take on responsibility.”
Prince Hans-Adam II of Liechtenstein, HSG-Alumnus
Discover the milestones of the HSG since its establishment in 1898 until today
Events
Sat
30.09.
11:00
-
23:00
Congresses and Conferences
HSG Community Festival
On the occasion of the 125th anniversary of the University of St.Gallen, the SHSG invites you to a community festival in collaboration with HSG Alumni.
Speaker:
Various (see event description)
Location:
University of St.Gallen
east
Tue
28.11.
20:15
-
21:00
Public events
Festive service
The University of St.Gallen, together with its students and professors, thus invites you to an ecumenical festive service.
Speaker:
Location:
Church St. Laurenzen
east
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Historical pictures (collection will be continuously updated)
Ski camp
From 1945 onwards, the HSG students regularly organised ski camps. The first skiing holidays were held by 14 male and 3 female students under the direction of the university sports teacher Rolf Albonico in the mountain house "Iltios" in Toggenburg. Later, they regularly went to the Fideriser Heuberge or to the Säntis. The students were pleased about the presence of professors, including the later President W.A. Jöhr. At the same time, they wished for a somewhat less "authoritarian management" of their holidays.
Experimental institute
Did you know that there was once a "Fats and Oils Department" at the HSG? The lower floors of the first HSG university building housed the premises of the "Schweizerische Versuchsanstalt" - today EMPA. When the business academy was founded in 1898, it was already clear that technical material tests for industry were to be carried out in addition to business teaching. First and foremost were tests for the St.Gallen textile associations. But the demand was great and soon leather, detergents, paper, fats and oils also appeared on the laboratory benches and in the test tubes. In 1918, the Federal Council recognised the research institute. In 1936 it was taken over entirely by the Confederation and moved to a new building, but the collaboration with the HSG continued.
«Father Zingg»
The position of caretaker remained in the same family from 1899 to 1941, for 42 years: Joseph Zingg, father and son. In addition to his caretaking activities, father Zingg was also involved in book sales: He imported textbooks from Germany at favourable exchange rates and sold them directly to the students. In 1918, he pointed out to President Schulze that Zingg's work on economics was being offered at a price of Fr. 4.90, while the bookshop had to charge Fr. 5.45. He asked him to "work towards this. He asked him "to work towards making this book sale sister again. Joseph Zingg Junior was a policeman before he was employed at the HSG. In 1911, the school board elected him as 2nd Pedell of the commercial college and as a helper of the yarn control station connected with the institution. After the death of his father in 1921, he became a caretaker. He died of cardiac paralysis on 16 January 1941, in the middle of his work.
Internment camp
To escape Nazi imprisonment, 13,000 Polish soldiers made it to Switzerland during the Second World War. The HSG enabled around a hundred students among them to continue their studies, which had been interrupted by the war: HSG lecturers provided them with lectures and tutorials in the "Internierten-Hochschullager" from 1940 onwards. The internment camp had various locations: Sirnach, Gossau, Herisau, St.Gallen. The teaching was basically the same as at the HSG, which is why the Poles took part in the regular courses from 1942. In addition, the students devoted themselves to sports or songs, but they repeatedly had to go out for hard labour duties, spending the night in straw. Some of the internees studied at the HSG after the war, even earning a doctorate.
Alternative new construction plans
The HSG suffered chronically from a lack of space. When working on a solution in the 1950s, the HSG's former location in the museum quarter was considered as an alternative to a campus on the Rosenberg. Architectural sketches in the university archives show what the HSG could have looked like. What cannot be seen on the sketches is that ten residential buildings would have had to be demolished for the variant in the town center. In addition, noise from the neighbouring school building was expected. Thus, in 1963, the HSG moved from the city centre to the Rosenberg.
Elephant at the graduation ceremony
In 1964, members of the AV Steinacher organised a special transport to celebrate a fellow student: an elephant was "borrowed" from the Knie Circus, which was a guest in the city. After the graduation ceremony, the elephant and its trainer appeared at the HSG auditorium and carried the graduate through the city. However, the animal was unimpressed by the HSG degree: At Marktplatz, the elephant could not be persuaded in either Latin or German to kneel down and let the graduate dismount, but trotted on towards the circus.
Photo: St.Gallen Town Archives.
Photo: St.Gallen Town Archives.
Lecture Hall No. 16
The picture shows "Lecture Hall No. 16" of the old HSG building in 1959. The crowdedness shows that the HSG was suffering from a shortage of space at the time. Temporary relief was provided four years later when the campus on the Rosenberg became operational. Fortunately, the proportion of women among the students has also increased somewhat since then.
The "Hungary Bus" of 1956, an aid campaign for students who had fled
After the Soviet army put down a democratic uprising in Hungary in 1956, many Hungarians fled to Switzerland. There was great solidarity at the HSG: 50 students were admitted at the university and the Student Union organised aid campaigns. For one week, the students earned money by providing public transport services with a bus made available for that purpose by the St.Gallen city transport company. The revenue was donated to the refugee students. In 2006, former refugees donated a Hungarian oak tree, which was planted at the edge of the HSG park.
Art theft on campus
Over the weekend of 12/13 November 1988, one of the five pieces of the tapestry by Coghuf and Silvia Valentin was stolen from the Aula. The HSG appealed to the "perpetrators, who will hardly be able to put the stolen part of the carpet to good use", to return the piece of fabric. Silence for weeks. Then finally, at the end of the month, the HSG received an anonymous tip: the stolen goods were in a locker at Winterthur railway station. The artwork was recovered and has since been spared from criminal (or beery?) energy.
48th Swiss University Championships
In 1965, the 48th Swiss University Championships took place in St.Gallen. Over 300 students competed in swimming, athletics, shooting, tennis and fencing. There was a premiere: for the first time, fencers were able to hold their university tournament in an aula. Fortunately, Coghuf's tapestry was not damaged.
President's chain
It is one of the classic insignia of a university and is the eye-catcher at the annual Dies academicus: the President's chain. The St.Gallen chain is made of 18-carat gold and was donated by alumnus Paul Alther in 1939, shortly after the HSG gained the right to award doctoral degrees. On the back of the medal the following is engraved: "To the Handelshochschule St.Gallen as a sign of gratitude for the rich academic and ethical values received by it in the years 1907-1909. Paul Alther November 1939".
Dies academicus
The Dies academicus has been celebrated at the HSG since 1928. However, its Latin name is much younger. For a long time, the practitioner-oriented business school did not like the "Latin loanword and its somewhat pompous appearance" and instead celebrated the "Hochschultag" every year. Only since the HSG gave itself the name of a "University" in 1995 has the "Dies" been held on campus each May.
«Sitter-In»
Openair instead of University Ball: In May 1970, a group of HSG students planned an alternative to the University Ball, which was perceived as a dusty and rigid event. In the spirit of Woodstock, they invited "apprentices, workers, students" to a musical "Sitter-In" in the Sittertobel. They were to bring all sorts of instruments, incense sticks, flowers, confessionals(!) and food. "No admission, no tuxedos" and "no beginning, no end." The poster immediately led to an official ban by the local council of Gaiserwald: formally because of nocturnal noise and fire hazard. But the real bone of contention was in the details: on the poster, next to the word "Kaserne" (barracks), there is a tiny peace sign - an affront to military circles at the time. The local council suspected left-wing agitation from Zurich. The "Sitter-In" took place nevertheless, a few river curves upstream, under the Ganggelibrugg on the municipal territory of Stein AR. About a thousand young people played music and barbecued peacefully through the night - it was the first St.Gallen Open Air. Image: Marcel Elsener/tagblatt.ch
