Buzz
Almost two years ago, I published a list titled 'Top 10 Haunted US College Campuses,' which ended up being far more popular than I had ever imagined. I read the comments, and many of you were eager for a follow-up featuring haunted universities from all around the world. Unfortunately, my busy study schedule didn't allow me to create a well-researched list. Now that I’ve graduated and found some extra time, I’ve started delving into the chilling tales of haunted universities globally.
I realize this site has a global audience, so if you’re studying outside the U.S. and have your own ghost stories to share, please drop them in the comment section. Who knows, we might put together a future list featuring viewer-submitted hauntings. Apologies for the two-year delay, but here it is at last: 10 haunted universities from across the globe!
10. Aberdeen University Scotland
The tale takes place at the old White Dove Hotel in Aberdeen. It is said that a young actress, known only as Miss Vining (I could find no historical records), became gravely ill and was confined to her room under constant care. One night, as the nurse checked on her patient, her attention was drawn to the far side of the room, where a small child sat beside the wall. The child wore a dress, and a large hat obscured her face. As the nurse attempted to speak, she found herself unable to move. She heard a child's giggle growing louder, until she lost consciousness. When she regained awareness, the child had vanished. Miss Vining’s condition worsened, but the nurse managed to continue her care. The child was seen several more times in the same room, always hiding her face.
What does this story have to do with the university? Well, the hotel eventually fell into disrepair and was demolished, and it seems that the ghost of the young girl took up residence on the university’s grounds. A girl, still wearing a large hat, has been spotted skipping along the sidewalks late at night, only to vanish when students approach her in concern.
9. Heidelberg University Germany
Founded in 1386, Heidelberg University has a rich and sometimes grim history. Many of its hauntings are tied to the dark days of the Nazi era. During that time, several Jewish and Communist professors were sent to concentration camps. At least two professors are known to have met their tragic fates at the hands of the Nazis. Although the ghosts of these professors haven’t been physically seen, strange occurrences have been reported in their former lecture halls. Chalkboards have been found mysteriously ‘self-erased,’ or covered with unfamiliar words the following morning… all happening after the rooms had been locked up for the night.
In 1933, the university took part in the infamous Nazi book burnings in University Square. Legend has it that on the anniversary of this event, the smell of burning leather and smoke can still be detected as one walks through the square. Perhaps the most unsettling hauntings occur at the University Clinic, where nighttime staff have reported hearing a woman’s mournful weeping. During the Nazi era, forced sterilizations were carried out here on women deemed unworthy of the Nazi vision of 'the perfect being.'
8. Moscow State University Russia
Constructed in 1953, Moscow State University seemed doomed from its very inception due to the manner in which it was built. It was constructed by Gulag prisoners and German POWs left over from World War II. At its peak, over 14,000 workers labored under harsh conditions, facing poor food, exposure, and malnutrition. Those who lagged behind in their work or refused to comply were either shot on site or deported for execution.
The prisoners were confined to the upper floors of the building to prevent escapes during the night. Numerous failed attempts to escape were made, including one where a man tried to fly a handmade wooden glider from the 14th floor, only to plummet to his death. Though the construction long ceased, the restless spirits of the workers who spent their final days there remain, condemned like Sisyphus to an endless cycle of labor they never completed. Reports of construction noises, chilling screams, and even fleeting glimpses of men in tattered clothing continue to haunt the upper floors where the prisoners were held.
7. Chinese University of Hong Kong China
Founded in 1963, CUHK is the second oldest university in Hong Kong, and it’s home to a number of eerie legends. Along Single Braid Road, which runs parallel to the campus, a woman with long braided hair is said to appear, targeting young men walking alone in the evening. At first, this might not seem too frightening, but a closer look reveals that she has no facial features whatsoever. Those who dare approach her are met with a look of terror before she vanishes without a trace.
Legend has it that she is the ghost of a woman who jumped from a moving train, in the very spot where University Station is now located. The fall supposedly tore off her face and scalp, leaving behind a horrific and unrecognizable appearance.
6. Cambridge University England
Founded in 1209, Cambridge is the fourth oldest university still in operation today and the second oldest in England. Having endured numerous wars, invasions, and atrocities over the centuries, it’s no wonder the university is said to be home to several restless spirits. Among its most infamous apparitions is the ghost of Lord Proctor of England, and according to previous accounts, one of history’s most detested men: Oliver Cromwell.
Or at least part of him. Cromwell was so despised that after his death, his body was exhumed, hanged, and beheaded. His remains were buried in a shallow grave, while his severed head was displayed on a pike atop Westminster Abbey for more than 20 years. After being removed, the head passed through various owners before finally ending up at Sidney Sussex College. Since then, it has been spotted floating around the campus and even peering into classrooms, as if searching for the rest of its body.
5. Peking University China
Though not always the case, most hauntings seem to be linked to some form of tragedy, often a death or murder. Mass casualties can lead to mass hauntings, and this certainly holds true for Peking University.
The haunting at Peking University is tied to one of the most recent and tragic events in history – the Tiananmen Square protests and massacre of 1989. The protests began on April 22, 1989, following the death of former Party Chairman and General Secretary of the People’s Republic of China, who had been revered by many students who felt the party had wronged him. While the demonstrations started off peacefully, the government swiftly turned against the students, whose numbers swelled into the tens of thousands. At approximately 10:30pm on June 4, the army began firing live rounds into the crowds. Hundreds, possibly thousands, of students and civilians were killed.
The spirits of the students, civilians, and soldiers who died in the massacre are said to haunt the streets and pathways around Tiananmen Square and the university. Unexplained shouting, eerie apparitions, and unsettling smells have all been reported.
4. Nagasaki University Japan
Nagasaki University was officially founded in 1949, although its medical school traces its origins back to 1857. The haunting phenomenon is believed to be a direct consequence of the tragic events of August 9, 1945. On that fateful day, the United States dropped an atomic bomb on the city in an attempt to bring an end to World War II. The medical college stood a mere 600 meters from the epicenter and was severely damaged by the blast. Over 800 medical workers, students, and professors were killed instantly, and it is estimated that 70,000 people perished in the explosion. The university grounds, along with various other parts of the city, are said to be haunted by the souls of those lost. Apparitions wandering the campus, ghostly figures in academic hallways, as well as the sounds of screams, cries, and the lingering scent of burning flesh have all been reported.
3. University of Toronto Canada
I’ll admit that I never thought a Canadian university would make it to #1 on this list. After all, Oxford has long been known for its own haunted history. However, this particular story stood out because it’s backed up with photographic evidence, so it definitely earned its spot here.
Founded in 1827, the University of Toronto is home to several ghostly legends. Many of these accounts were made easier to research thanks to the University of Toronto Magazine. One of the earliest stories involves Ivan Reznikoff, a stonemason who mysteriously disappeared during the university's construction. Then, in 1889, a student reportedly encountered a figure dressed in dark clothing while heading back to his residence on campus.
The man claimed to have a tale to share, so the student invited him to his residence, and the two began drinking. The stranger introduced himself as the ghost of Ivan, and recounted a tragic story of his death during a quarrel with the project foreman, Paul Diablos, whom he suspected of trying to steal his fiancée. In a fit of rage, Ivan confronted Diablos outside his quarters with an axe. The first blow missed, striking a wooden door instead. That very door still exists to this day and can be seen in the image above. Ivan claimed to have chased Diablos inside the building but couldn't find where his enemy had hidden. Just as he was about to leave the room, he felt a knife plunge into his back, and everything went dark. Ivan revealed to the student that Diablos had hidden his body in an unfinished ventilation shaft.
The next morning, the student woke up to find his mysterious drinking companion gone, dismissing the experience as just a bad dream. However, years later, part of the building was destroyed in a fire, and the remains of a man wearing a mason’s belt were reportedly found in the ruins.
2. Oxford University England
Although the precise founding date of Oxford remains uncertain, most historians agree that teaching has taken place there since at least 1096. It stands as the second oldest continuously operating university in the world, following the University of Bologna in Italy. Over the centuries, the campus has been home to some particularly notorious haunts.
King Charles I, most infamous for losing his head, is said to roam the grounds of Oxford, often spotted both with and without his head. His presence is most notably felt at Christ Church College. Another figure that haunts the university is one of his army commanders, who, like the king, was executed for treason on the very grounds. A ghostly, pale-faced figure dressed like a priest is said to wander the New College. Meanwhile, the ghost of a clergyman named Cuthbert Shield resides at Queens College. A tragic ghost, that of a student who hanged himself in St. Edmund Hall, is said to haunt a suitcase there, and the playful spirits of twin boys, sons of the Bishop of Liverpool who founded St. Peter’s College, are known to haunt several buildings. This is another case where an entire list could be made about the diverse hauntings.
1. University of Toulouse France
Founded in 1229, the University of Toulouse is one of the oldest educational institutions in France. Over the centuries, both the city and the university grounds have witnessed immense bloodshed. During the Medieval Inquisition of 1278, many Jews living in Toulouse were put on trial—some reports claim these trials took place on university grounds. Those condemned for heresy and other charges were burned at the stake.
The city was also marked by the Toulouse riots of 1562, during which an estimated 3,000 to 5,000 citizens perished over the span of a week. The aftermath of the French Revolution saw many more executed by guillotine, as Toulouse was home to a significant number of royalists. In addition, Toulouse was attacked twice, in 1799 and 1814, by British and Spanish forces.
The campus is said to be haunted by apparitions of soldiers from the medieval era, their ghostly figures clad in period uniforms. In certain areas of the grounds, a strange scent of gunpowder is reported to appear and vanish without warning. On one occasion, a student returning to his dormitory encountered a group of French soldiers, fully outfitted in military gear. After briefly inspecting him, they shouldered their spectral weapons and marched off, disappearing around a corner as the student stood there, frozen in shock.
