University Charles of Prague

The university Charles of Prague (in Czech: Univerzita Karlova v Praze , in Latin: Universitas Carolina ) is a Czech Université , founded with Prague the April 7th 1348 what makes of it the oldest university of Central Europe.

She also is regarded as oldest German university because of her origins, Prague being the capital of the Saint Germanic Roman Empire at the time of the foundation of the Charles university by the emperor Charles IV.

She comprises 17 faculties.

History

The majority of the sources quote 1348 like the year of the foundation of the university Charles, on April 7th of this year king Charles Ier of Bohemia (more known under the name of Charles IV of the Holy roman Empire) published a bubble of gold guaranteeing the privileges of the university. One can nevertheless regard the bubble of the pope Clément VI on January 26th 1347 as paramount and that of the emperor like a confirmation of the exemption of the secular authority of the emperor. It is extremely probable that the anticlericalism sails about it at the 19th century is at the origin of the preference for the date of 1348.

Based on the models of the universities of Bologna and Paris, the Charles university opened his doors in 1349.

The archbishop Ernest de Pardubice took a big part in the foundation of the university by obliging the clergy to contribute to the lesson. At the beginning, the university is divided into sections Bavarian, Czech, saxonne and Polish so called nations .

In 1407, the university condemned the teaching of the theories of John Wyclif but its doctrines grow in popularity. Jan Hus, senior and vice-chancellor of the university, had translated the Trialogus of Wyclif into Czech. The others nations decided to line up near the pope Gregoire XII but Hus could use the opposition of the king Venceslas to Gregoire XII and obtained, in 1409, that the Czech nation had three votes at the time of the decisive votes on the administration of the university, the others nations by profiting only from one vote each one. This caused the departure of the German professors towards the Université of Leipzig in May 1409.

The university then loses the majority of its students and his faculty and declines to become an establishment with at most national radiation. During a few decades, no title is distributed. It is necessary to await the emperor Sigismond then especially Rodolphe II which makes of Prague its capital, to see the university reappearing of its ashes. Within the framework of the efforts related to the Counter-Reformation, Ferdinand I {{er}} request with the Jésuites to come to Prague where they open an academy, the Clementinum. After a temporary expulsion (1618 - 1620), they return and an imperial decree entrusts to them, in 1622, the entirety of the education system in Bohemia, Moravie and Silesia. The last four professors leave Carolinum and the nine remaining colleges go then to the Jesuits at the same time as the right to give the diplomas and to sharpen secular professors. The students then must, to receive their diploma, to swear to defend the Immaculate Conception. The administrative reforms and Austrian academics of the years 1752 and 1754 finish abolishing the last privileges guaranteed by the gold founder Bubble of the Charles university. That is only as from the first years of the 19th century that the Protestants, follow-ups quickly of the Jews, can be graduate.

A Czech professorship is gradually set up and in 1863, on 187 cours given, 22 are it in Czech; the remainder being it in German. Into 1882, according to the pressure of the rising Czech middle-class and the reinforcement of the national feeling, the university (then called Carolo-Ferdinandea) is divided into two entities, one Czech, other allemande, completely independent one of the other. In 1909, the number of the students of the Karlo-Ferdinandova univerzita reached 4  300 whereas those of the Karl-Ferdinand Universität is of 1.800. The two institutions continue to work in parallel until 1939. The Czech part of the university (at the same time as of other institutions of Czech higher education) is closed the November 17th 1939 following student's demonstrations; certain students, of the professors are sent in Concentration camp, the student's leaders carried out. The German part is promoted university of the Reich. It will be liquidated in 1945 following the Décrets Beneš which expel the Germans of the territory of the Czechoslovakia. The post-war period is hardly more favourable with the development of the Charles university. As of 1948 and the takeover by the Communists, the university passes under the ideological control of the party and of the purgings in professorship sanction all deviance , they are repeated with regularity, in particular at the time of the period of “Normalization” which follows the Printemps of Prague. In January 1990, following the Revolution of velvet which begin with a student's revolt, the direction of the university is remelted and joins together academic personalities independent and not compromised under the old Communist regime. Social sciences, hitherto under the influence of the communist ideology, are gathered within a faculty (FSV) lately created.

At present (2004-2006), the University Charles counts nearly 42.000 students (including 6.000 doctorands), that is to say a fifth of the students of the Czech Republic.

Famous people having attended the University Charles

Organization

The Charles university counts 17 faculties at present:
  • catholic theology
  • Protestant theology
  • theology hussite
  • right
  • medicine (three faculties in Prague)
  • natural science
  • mathematical and physical
  • pedagogy
  • social sciences
  • humanities
  • arts (philosophy)
  • physical education and sporting, located in the Palate Michna

And three faculties located out of Prague:

  • medicine with Plzeň
  • medicine with Hradec Kralove
  • pharmacy with Hradec Kralove

Structure

Prof RNDr. Václav Hampl, DrSc. is since February 1st, 2006 vice-chancellor of the University Charles succeeding Prof Ing. Ivan Wilhelm, CSc. who occupied this position since 1999.

External bond

  • in Czech and Official site

Be-X-old: Карлаўунівэрсытэт

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