„Et es füe de jong Lüüt“
Josef Schmitz was the last owner of the Wilhelmshöhe agricultural estate on Merscher Höhe, northeast of the city of Jülich, and simultaneously a significant supporter of the new campus construction of the university of applied sciences.
After he abandoned farming in the 1990s, Josef Schmitz met the then-rector of Aachen University of Applied Sciences/Campus Jülich, Prof. Herrmann-Josef Buchkremer. The rector found understanding and interest in the single farmer, as they spoke the same language: the Rhineland dialect. Ultimately, Josef Schmitz was willing to sell large parts of his property for the sustainable development of the university and the city of Jülich at favorable conditions. Josef Schmitz’s approval was said to have been simply: “It’s for the young people.”
The move of the university of applied sciences from the 5-hectare site on Ginsterweg to the 14-hectare area at Merscherhöhe/Wilhelmshöhe was driven by the expansion of activities (Solar Institute SIJ), the growing number of students, including the transfer of chemical engineering from Aachen, the housing needs for students, and deficiencies in the building structure and technology of the buildings constructed around 1970 on Ginsterweg. On August 29, 2007, the groundbreaking for the new campus on the Wilhelmshöhe site took place. Josef Schmitz did not witness this event, as he had passed away on the estate in 2006.
In memory of Josef Schmitz, Aachen University of Applied Sciences/Campus Jülich erected a 1.30-meter tall stele in July 2011 in front of the auditorium/library (round building) on the former grounds of the Wilhelmshöhe estate.
