Ever wondered how Universities ended up as they are, as a class of institution? This article traces the history of the modern research university as an institution, having roots in 19th century Germany.

But something happened to German universities at the turn of the 19th century — they developed a new system that combined teaching with research. Within a few decades, everyone in Europe was trying to copy their model. […] Why Germany? Why universities? Why does the entire modern institutional research ecosystem look the way it does?