Its foundation and history has often been marked by controversial debates and significant difficulties to establish the new university in the German educational system.

Early supporters of the university include Alfred Herrhausen, Gerd Bucerius, Reinhard Mohn and the Bertelsmann Foundation.

1984: The degree programmes in economics and dental medicine are established 1990: The German Council of Science and Humanities reviews the university and grants it public funding support for buildings.

It will become a core element of the Witten/Herdecke identity as every student regardless of his subject has to take courses offered by the faculty, thereby gaining interdisciplinary skills and reflexive capacities.

The model avoids social selection in the admission process by enabling students to repay their tuition according to their own financial capacities after they have embarked on their professional careers.

[8] The series brings laureates of the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences such as Kenneth Arrow, Thomas Schelling, and George Akerlof to Germany's first private university.

Internal problems, the general economic crisis, loss of major sponsors and withdrawal of public funds culminate in a threat of insolvency.

In December 2009 the State Ministry of Innovation, Science, Research and Technology announces its intention to withdraw funding.

2009: Major internal restructuring efforts and a new shareholder agreement with new partners secure the financial stability of the university and its academic development.

The current President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, gave a speech on site as a prominent guest of honour.

Both the interdisciplinary study model of ‘’Witten Didactics‘’ and the concept of the obligatory Studium fundamentale can still be regarded as characteristics of the university.