In 1394, the University of Heidelberg was founded in Heidelberg, Germany, becoming one of the oldest universities in the country. This institution played a crucial role in the development of humanist thought and education in Europe. The university attracted scholars and students from various regions, fostering an environment of intellectual exchange that would influence literature and philosophy for centuries to come.

The establishment of the University of Heidelberg contributed to the rise of humanism, which significantly influenced poets and writers like Johannes Gutenberg, who would later revolutionize printing. The university's focus on classical texts and rhetoric laid the groundwork for the flourishing of poetry and literature in the Renaissance, impacting figures such as Georg Tullius and later German poets.