Academiegebouw - Utrecht University Hall
Domplein 29
Centre of the University — In front of you stands the University Hall, perhaps Utrecht University’s most important building. Now that you are on the Dom Square, take a good look around. Does the University Hall match the rest of the square?
Tucked away in the corner of the Dom Square stands a building... and not just any old building. Perhaps the most important building in the history of Utrecht University. Many important professors have walked its corridors. Today, the link between the University and the University Hall is still present. Graduation ceremonies take place there, as well as many other official functions.
You are standing in front the University Hall. Underneath it run the ancient lines of the Roman castellum. This line is still visible to the south of the Dom Square (if you walk in the direction of the Lange Nieuwstraat). For centuries, thousands of Utrecht students have graduated in the oldest part of the building, the Auditorium, which dates back to 1462. When the University was founded in 1636, the Auditorium was a gift from the city. Thank you very much, Utrecht! As more and more people started studying, the search for a suitable university building was on... In 1886, on her 250th anniversary, the university was given University Hall by the citizenry and the council of Utrecht.
The University Hall is open to the public and guided tours are available.
