[4] The roots of the university can be traced back to 1580, when the notable Jesuit Peter Canisius founded the Collège Saint-Michel in the City of Fribourg.

[3][8] The university owes its earliest origin to the foundation of the Jesuit College St. Michel on Belze Hill by Peter Canisius in 1580 at the invitation of the government of Fribourg.

[11] The College St. Michel was closed following the expulsion of the Jesuits from Fribourg after the canton's defeat in the Sonderbund war.

[14] Although many lectures were originally in Latin, Fribourg is now the only French/German bilingual university in the world (45% French and 55% German).

This fact, coupled with the traditional dominance of French as the language of the city aristocracy explains why French has remained so dominant in university administration and in the AGEF (Association Générale des Etudiants Fribourgois), the Student's Union.

To commemorate the centenary of the university, La Poste issued a stamp depicting the figures Science and Sagesse.