University of Paris

The Université of Paris is historically a Parisian corporation of Masters and pupils having acquired an important autonomy following the granting of charter of a police and legal stamping by Philippe-Auguste in 1200, and with the papal bubble of 1231 constituting it in ecclesiastical corporation.

At the 12th century and the 13th century, it was one of the first Université S of Europe, with Bologna, Oxford, Cambridge, Toulouse, Salamanque and Montpellier.

The University of Paris is not long in becoming a true moral authority. The doctors of the university come to a conclusion about famous controversies like the tax on the ecclesiastical benefit by the the Holy See, and play a great part at the time of the Great Schism of Occident (1378 - 1417). It is the chancellor of the University of Paris, Jean de Gerson, which animates besides the Concile of Constancy (1414 - 1418), which puts an end to the schism. During the War One hundred Year old, the university supports the English and the Burgundian party, and approves the execution of Jeanne d' Arc (1431).

At the 15th century, the university is often in Grève, in particular for three months in 1443, and for six September 1444 at March 1445, to defend its tax exemption. Until 1446, the students depend out of penal matter on the university. But it happens regularly that schoolboys are stopped by the provost of the king. In this case, the vice-chancellor of the university went to the Châtelet to ask so that the schoolboy be judged by the official university. If the provost of the king refused, the university was put in strike.

The end of the 15th century marks, for the University of Paris, beginning the one delicate period. Charles VII subjects it, in 1446, with the jurisdiction of the Parlement of Paris, which causes riots coeds in which takes part, inter alia, the poet François Villon. In 1453, a schoolboy, Raymond de Mauregart, is killed by the sergeants of Châtelet and the university is put again in strike during several months.

The University of Paris is opposed in vain to the Concordat of Bologna, signed in 1516 by François Ier, which gives to the royal capacity the possibility of controlling the access for the great benefits. The foundation of the Collège de France in 1530 and the appearance of the Society of Jesus in the middle of the 16th century come to compete with the university, before the Wars of religion do not set ablaze France. In 1600, Henri IV dismantles the privileges of the university.

After inclinations of independence under the Sling, the university subjects to Louis XIV. She condemns the ideas of Descartes, then those of the Philosophers of the Age of Enlightenment. After the expulsion of the Jesuits in 1762, it annexes the Louis-the-Large college and a new building is built Place of the Pantheon for the Faculty of Law.

Organization of the University

The old University of Paris was made of 4 faculties: a faculty general practitioner, the Faculty of Arts; and three specialized faculties: Faculty of decree, the Medical college and the Faculty of theology. Within the Faculty of Arts existed four groupings called " Nations": the Nation of Normandy, the Nation of Picardy, the Nation of England, then of Germany, and the Nation of France. These nations were made, excluded the nation of Normandy, of a certain number of provinces, it even subdivided in Diocèse S.

The nation of Picardy included/understood two parts including/understanding each one five dioceses:







The nation of England was initially divided into two provinces, the province made up of the only kingdom of England, and the province made up of eleven nonEnglish kingdoms. English having become later very minority, the nation abolishes this distinction in 1331 and subdivided itself towards the end of XIVe century in three provinces, High-Germany, Low-Germany and Scotland. After the one hundred year old war, the nation of England became the nation of Germany.

Each company (faculty or nation) elected two subalterns called vergers , who were charged to proclaim the vacation, the young stags and the days of lessons, to publish the decisions of the company and to assure the material execution of it, finally to precede with masses by money, the vice-chancellor, the senior, or the prosecutor in the great ceremonies.

The University regulated the book-related industries (bookstore, parchment factory, binding, illumination). It also managed the service of the messengers.

Finances were managed by each companies. Those were entrusted to an elected officer, a receiver for the Nations, the large verger for the Faculty of theology, a treasurer for the Faculty of decree, and the senior for the Medical college.

It was necessary to be a Master are arts to be member of the Faculty of arts; it was necessary to be a doctor to take part in the deliberations of other faculties. The graduates of higher faculties, which were Masters are arts, belonged to the Faculty of arts as long as they were not doctors. The doctorate excluded them from the right to take part in the elections and the deliberations of the Faculty of arts. Monks of the Faculty of theology, and the majority of the graduate of the Faculty of decree, did not form part of the Faculty of arts.

The most eminent station of the University was that of Recteur. At the XVIIIe century, this one was elected every three months, but the same one was generally renewed during one year. Each election gave place to the Procession of the vice-chancellor, where the whole of the dignitaries of the University on the basis of the seat of the University ravelled (the Louis-the-Large college at the XVIIIe century). The whole of the religious orders was thus invited (Augustins, Cordeliers, Carmes, Jacobins, Billettes, Blancs-Manteaux, order of Holy-Cross, Ordre of the Valley-of-Schoolboys, Trinitaires, Prémontrés, order of Citeaux, Ordre of Saint-Beno4it cheese, Ordre of Cluny).

Each graduated and officers of various faculties had a given costume:

The vice-chancellor was selected among the members of the faculty of arts.

The vice-chancellor chaired the academic court which was held with the chief town of the University first Saturday of each month. It was formed by the seniors of faculties of theology, right, medicine, and the four prosecutors of the four Nations which composed faculty of arts. The prosecutor-syndic, the clerk and the receiver attended the meetings. The court judged all the different ones between the members from the University. The plaintiffs could appeal before the general meeting of Faculties.

The lesson generally took place within establishments held by pious foundations called " collège" , like the College of Sorbonne or the College of Navarre for theology (or, for the young people artiens, the College of Montaigu, for example). The University of Paris did not have a building into clean.

The University was entitled to the nomination of fourteen benefit: three cures of Saint-Andre-of-Arts, of Saint-Like, from Saint-Germain-the-Old man, and eleven chapellenies.

The weapons of the university represented a hand, holding a book, surrounded by three flowers of gold lily at bottom of azure.

Colleges of the old university of Paris

Meeting of the small colleges

In 1763,28 of these colleges (noted by one *) are joined together with the Louis-the-Large Collège become the place chief of the university. It does not remain then any more with the Faculty of Arts of Paris, in addition to the Louis-the-Large college, that nine colleges known as of full exercise still exempting a teaching: College of the Cardinal Lemoine, College of Grassins, College of Harcourt, College of Walk, College of Lisieux, College of Montaigu, College of Navarre, College of Plessis and College of the Four-Nations.

In 1766 is created a contest of aggregation for the classes of philosophy, beautiful letters and grammar. At the time of the vacant posts, the new professors are selected among the aggregate ones.

Studies, examinations and ranks

The oldest rank is the license. This one is not in fact not a university rank of origin since it was conferred by the chancellor of Notre-Dame or Saint-Genevieve and gave the right to teach in all the universities. The University created then other ranks: the baccalaureat, the graduate obtaining the right to assist the professor before obtaining the license, the control, final rank of the studies artiennes marking establishment in the corporation, and the doctorate which recognized the holder like a Master of his discipline (right, medicine, theology).

Here some details relating to the baccalaureat in the various higher faculties presented in the encyclopedia of Diderot and Alembert:

Faculty of decree

According to the statutes of 1600, the canonical diploma in law can be obtained after two years of studies. The candidate passes an examination on the décrétale in front of two doctors, then lends serement and receive the blessing of the senior.

Medical college

To be graduate in Medicine, it is necessary, for having been four years Master are Arts in the university, to make two years of study in Medicine & to undergo an examination, after which one is covered fur to enter in license.

According to the statutes of 1600, one receives the graduates in medicine only two years in two years. This reception is done towards the mid-Lent. The candidates must justify that they have been Maître are arts university of Paris for four years or 8 for another university. The candidate passes an examination then lends oath. Closed celibacy was withdrawn since 1600. The graduates in medicine can exert, but under the condition that if it is in the city or the fauxbourgs of Paris, they will be assisted of a doctor. According to an edict of 1707, for other faculties of France, it is necessary to be laid off to exert medicine.

The closing of the University of Paris

The old University of Paris disappears with the suppression from the corporations during the French revolution. In the month of 1791, Rene Binet is in charge of the functions of vice-chancellor by the municipality of Paris. In the month of February 1792, the faculty of theology and the academic court were removed, on the report/ratio of the Gaudin representative. April 19th 1792, the assembly ordered that all the ecclesiastical teachers would be obliged to lend oath to the civil Constitution of the clergy. Then the national Convention removed by decree of September 15th 1793 the colleges of full exercise and faculties on the whole of the territory of the Republic. National Convention decides to replace the teaching of the old universities by a whole of central schools and special schools, preceded by the elementary schools. In 1794 a medical school was creates, which took again the functions of the medical college. It was joined in 1804 by a school of right.

The Academy of Paris of the University of France

The law of 1806 creates a Académie of Paris, which takes again the functions of the old university of Paris, with a Faculty of Arts, a faculty of sciences, a catholic faculty of theology, a Faculty of Law and a medical college. Each faculty is directed by a senior named by the large-Master of the Université of France. This one is also vice-chancellor of the Academy of Paris.

The new university of Paris

Following the decree of July 25th, 1885 giving to faculties the civil personality, the decree of December 28th, 1885 establishing a general advice of faculties in the same academy, the law of April 28th, 1893 giving the civil personality to the bodies formed by the meeting of several faculties of an academy and that of July 10th, 1896 giving the name of university to the bodies of faculties, the new University of Paris was created in 1896 like grouping of the Faculty of Science, of the Faculty of Arts, the Faculty of Law, the Medical college, the Faculté of Protestant theology (transformed into free faculty in 1905), and the University of pharmacy. It was inaugurated on Thursday, November 19, 1896 by the president of the Republic. The National university was joined together at the university by the decree of November 10th, 1903. In 1914, the university of Paris counts 17308 students, it counts 64151 in 1956 of them.

President of the council of the university of Paris

Universities of Paris after 1968

After the events of May 1968 and the promulgation of the law Faure, the University of Paris was divided (announces of the Guichard minister on March 20th, 1970) into 13 universities created on January 1st, 1971:

The unit currently adds up: 336000 students.

See too

External bonds

  • History of the universities of Paris
  • papal Bubble for the University of Paris (1231)

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