the university was founded in berlin-dahlem, a district in the south west of berlin during the time of the cold war in 1948. today, the university has three bigger campuses: the main campus dahlem, the "campus düppel" with animal clinics and other institutes related to veterinary medicine and the "geocampus" in lankwitz, which is home to the "department of earth sciences". the medical department of the fu berlin is part of the "charité - university medicine berlin", a joint institution with the humboldt university.