burg - E ss en ▁is ▁among ▁the ▁ 1 0 ▁largest ▁German ▁univers ities . ▁Since ▁ 2 0 1 4 , ▁research ▁income ▁has ▁ris en ▁by ▁ 1 5 0 ▁percent . ▁ ▁History ▁ ▁Orig ins : ▁University ▁of ▁D uis burg ▁( 1 5 5 5 ) ▁ ▁The ▁univers ities ▁orig ins ▁date ▁back ▁to ▁the ▁ 1 5 5 5 ▁decision ▁of ▁Duke ▁Wilhelm ▁V ▁von ▁J ü lich - K le ve - B erg , ▁to ▁create ▁a ▁university ▁for ▁the ▁un ified ▁duch ies ▁at ▁the ▁Lower ▁Rh ine . ▁To ▁this ▁end , ▁it ▁was ▁necessary ▁to ▁obtain ▁a ▁permission ▁of ▁the ▁em peror ▁and ▁the ▁po pe . ▁Although ▁the ▁permission ▁of ▁the ▁po pe ▁was ▁granted ▁in ▁ 1 5 6 4 ▁and ▁of ▁the ▁em peror ▁in ▁ 1 5 6 6 , ▁the ▁university ▁was ▁founded ▁about ▁nin ety ▁years ▁later ▁in ▁ 1 6 5 4 , ▁after ▁the ▁ac quisition ▁of ▁the ▁Duch y ▁of ▁Cle ves ▁by ▁Frederick ▁William , ▁Elect or ▁of ▁Brandenburg . ▁It ▁opened ▁on ▁ 1 4 ▁October ▁ 1 6 5 5 ▁by ▁Johannes ▁Claud berg ▁as ▁their ▁first ▁re ctor . ▁The ▁university ▁had ▁four ▁fac ult ies : ▁The ology , ▁Medicine , ▁Law ▁and ▁Arts . ▁During ▁its ▁period ▁of ▁activity ▁it ▁was ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁central ▁and ▁leading ▁univers ities ▁of ▁the ▁western ▁provinces ▁of ▁Pr uss ia . ▁ ▁Only ▁a ▁few ▁dec ades ▁later