Friends of the university and other support associations

Founded in 1835, the Voluntary Academic Society (Freiwillige Akademische Gesellschaft, or FAG) stands out as the first modern support group for the University of Basel. The twentieth century saw the emergence of additional support organizations: the Friends of the University (Freunde der Universität) in 1929, the University of Basel Support Association (Förderverein Universität Basel, or FUB) in 1993, and the Alumni Association in 2005, which also assumed a supportive role. The political and financial turmoil following the cantonal separation in 1833 catalyzed the organization of private support for the university into associations in 1835. This marked the first instance of institutionalized private support, establishing a more enduring framework that obviated the need for ad hoc initiatives during times of crisis.

One might question the necessity of subsequent support groups given the exemplary performance of the 1835 organization. This very question was posed by the founders of the 1929 Friends of the University. Their rationale lay in a desire for greater academic and political engagement through the organization of lecture series, aiming to mobilize university members during a period when social discourse centered more on the clash between traditional bourgeois values and emerging communist or National Socialist ideologies rather than specific regional concerns.

The 1993 support group was conceived with the explicit aim of expanding university support among the Basel-Countryside population. By contrast, the Alumni Association, established in 2005, had a broader mission. It was founded on the premise that alumni sought interdisciplinary connections with fellow graduates and that fostering a meaningful link between the university and society could yield mutual benefits.