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University of Vienna
March 12, 1365—Duke Rudolf IV signed Vienna's university charter out of rivalry with his father-in-law's Prague University. Here's the kicker: Rudolf died that year before a single building opened. Classes didn't start until 1385. Fast forward to 1877. This 33-meter Italian Renaissance palace rose on the Ringstrasse after Vienna's medieval walls came down. It's your university's true home. Step inside and the Arcaded Courtyard greets you with the Castalia fountain at its center. The walls display monuments to Austria's greatest minds: Schrodinger, Brücke, Fuchs. Today, 92,000 students walk these halls, part of a continuous 660-year legacy that changed how the German-speaking world thinks about education.
Did You Know?
- :fact: The University of Vienna was founded in 1365 by Duke Rudolf IV, making it the oldest university in the German-speaking world and one of the oldest continuously operating universities in Europe. Its original charter was inspired by the University of Paris, and it quickly became a leading center for medicine, law, and theology in Central Europe.
- :fact: The university played a pivotal role in the 1848 revolutions, becoming a hub for liberal reform. As a result, it won important changes such as greater academic freedom, the introduction of the seminar method of teaching, and a broader curriculum—setting a precedent for modern university education.
- :fact: The Vienna University Observatory, established in the 18th century and later relocated to Türkenschanzpark, once housed the world’s largest refracting telescope when it opened in 1883. The observatory’s Great Refractor, with a 68 cm aperture, was a marvel of its time and attracted international astronomers, making Vienna a global center for astronomical research.