75 years of the University of Finance: Nordkirchen Castle in splendor!

75 years of the University of Finance: Nordkirchen Castle in splendor!

On May 23, 2025, a festive reception took place in the Nordkirchen moated castle, at which Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier welcomed 150 ambassadors. The castle, which stands in the heart of the picturesque park, is home to the North Rhine-Westphalia University of Finance (HSF) and is celebrating its 75th anniversary this year. Since its founding in 1950, the HSF has developed into an important educational institution for financial administration in the country and has already trained over 43,000 qualified financial economists. The school started back then with only 115 candidates.

The day was marked by a ceremony and important guests. Minister of Finance, Dr. Marcus Optendrenk, and State Secretary Dr. Dirk Günnewig also took part in the ceremony. Minister Optendrenk emphasized the importance of this institution for training in financial administration in North Rhine-Westphalia and praised the university's achievements. The HSF, which is part of the department of the country's Ministry of Finance, offers in-depth training for prospective civil servants in career group 2.1, formerly senior service.

Looking back on 75 years of training

The School of Finance has continuously developed. Originally founded as a state finance school, it became a technical college for finance in 1976 and was renamed the college of finance in 2020. Over the years, the number of students grew significantly: from 115 course participants in 1950, the number rose to almost 1,500 in the 1993/94 season. Around 1,100 students are currently learning and living at the HSF, supported by over 160 lecturers, including 19 professors.

An important concern of the HSF is the preparation of graduates for modern tax administrations. University director Claudia Potthoff-Kowol emphasized that digitalization is a central component of teaching. The use of tablets, interactive learning platforms and digital tests has reduced paper consumption by 85 percent since tablets were introduced in 2017.

Modern educational offerings and international cooperation

The HSF offers a three-year course of study in tax administration that integrates a dual course of study with internships in tax offices. Students complete both a basic course and a main course, followed by examinations that ultimately end with a degree in finance (FH). The students not only learn German tax law, but also other areas of law such as civil law and commercial law.

An innovative educational campus was opened in Herford in 2017 to meet increased requirements. In addition, the partnership with the State Tax University in Irpin, Ukraine, was established to support teaching operations. These international collaborations strengthen the training of future tax professionals and promote the exchange of knowledge and experiences.

From October 1, 2018, the Financial Administration Training Academy (FortAFin) will be based in Bad Honnef. The HSF in Nordkirchen, together with FortAFin, offers central training events that are crucial for the ongoing training of employees in financial administration.

Looking back at 75 years of rich history, the numerous trained specialists and a look into the future, it becomes clear: The North Rhine-Westphalia School of Finance remains a key institution for the training of qualified tax experts in the state.

For more information about the North Rhine-Westphalia School of Finance and its history, please visit country.nrw and Wikipedia.