Handelshochschule Leipzig

Our Background

HHL-Leipzig Graduate School of Management, founded in 1898 as the Handelshochschule Leipzig, was the first German business school to be granted university status. Its early graduates and faculty--most notably Professors Eugen Schmalenbach, Balduin Penndorf and Hermann Großmann-were Germany´s leading developers of the principles of scientific management.

HHL has always had an international orientation and a commitment to rigorous business instruction. In the decade before the onset of the Third Reich, nearly half of our students were from countries other than Germany and in the first 15 years after we were authorized to offer doctorate degrees more than 200 were awarded.

HHL suffered greatly during the Third Reich and the postwar Communist era. We were reestablished shortly after Germany´s reunification-McKinsey & Company, the international management consulting firm, provided the conceptual plan for what was to be a new German-based, European school of business. The modern HHL grants four graduate business degrees: the Diplom-Kaufmann, the Masters of Business Administration (MBA, taught entirely in English), the doctorate, and the Habilitation.

Our Mission

The HHL philosophy is the same today as when we were founded in 1898: to emphasize not only the technical facets of business study but also the development and evolution of individual character. Our "corporate philosophy" is to encourage initiative, engagement and reflective and responsible thinking and action. Love of one´s chosen path, as manifested in the effort and joy applied to studies and work, are prerequisites for a successful and fulfilling life for our graduates.

What HHL stands for:

• HHL provides a general management education that meets the highest academic standards to students with the intellect, drive, talents and personality to become business and managerial leaders.
  
  
• When designing and delivering our curriculum, we view the ever-present tension between managerial theory and practice both as an inspiration and a challenge. Thus, we introduce our students to a wide range of theoretical and methodological approaches and choices, preparing them to go beyond the purely commercial side of management to incorporate the most applicable and relevant aspects of academic disciplines, such as economics and finance, or multidisciplinary subject areas like managerial leadership and business ethics.
  
  
• We consciously sidestep the illusion that traditional subjects hold the only key to approaching sophisticated managerial tasks. Rather, we emphasize that an appropriate application of theory demands creativity and judgment-especially when wide-ranging management challenges demand innovative solutions.
  
  
• Practical studies (e.g., internships and practical projects in cooperation with firms) hone students´ abilities to think on their feet in real situations. We build problem-solving competencies and train students to tackle complex, multi-layered problems both in individual and team projects.