Charles University Is Founded in Prague
Charles University, founded on April 7, 1348, in Prague by King Charles IV, holds the distinction of being the first major university in Central Europe and one of the oldest universities in continuous operation in the Western world. Located in the historical region of Bohemia, the university originally comprised four faculties: arts, law, medicine, and theology. Its early years were significantly influenced by Czech theologian Jan Hus, who became a pivotal figure in the university's theological faculty and advocated for Catholic reform, foreshadowing movements that would lead to the Protestant Reformation.
Throughout its history, Charles University has seen various changes in governance and focus, notably experiencing a division into Czech and German faculties in the late 19th century to foster Czech studies amid rising nationalism. The university has faced significant challenges, including suppression during the Thirty Years' War, the rise of Nazi and communist rule, and the impact of these regimes on academic freedom. However, it also played a crucial role in social movements, contributing to the Prague Spring and the Velvet Revolution, which dismantled the communist government in 1989. Today, efforts are underway to rejuvenate its intellectual legacy, reflecting its enduring significance in the educational and cultural landscape of the Czech Republic and beyond.
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Charles University Is Founded in Prague
Charles University Is Founded in Prague
On April 7, 1348, Charles University was founded by Charles IV, the newly crowned king of Bohemia, in the city of Prague. Also known as Prague University or the University of Prague, it was the first major university in Central Europe and is one of the oldest continuing institutions of higher learning in the Western world.
Prague is located in the region of Bohemia (now the western part of the Czech Republic) in central Europe. During the Middle Ages, the city was under the suzerainty of the kings of Bohemia, including Charles IV (1316–1378), who was also Holy Roman Emperor from 1347 until his death. His imperial capital, Prague, had long been a center of learning, a history which took a major step forward with the founding of the university.
Charles University was established with four major departments: arts, law, medicine, and theology. Its early history was shaped by Jan Hus, a Czech theologian who embraced the cause of Catholic reform before the Protestant Reformation. Hus joined the University's theological faculty in 1398. He became a dean in 1401 and during his tenure established many contacts between the university and intellectual movements throughout Europe. He was influenced by the English reformer John Wycliffe; both men espoused ideas that would become central to Protestantism. Hus was excommunicated in 1412 and was burned at the stake for heresy two years later. The Bohemians regarded him as a martyr as well as a national hero, and his legacy created sympathy for outright Protestantism once the Reformation began. It was not until the mid-1600s, after the Thirty Years' War, that the Austrian Empire achieved complete domination over Bohemia and was able to impose orthodox Catholicism at the university.
In the 19th century the school again emerged as a center of social and intellectual ferment, in the form of Czech nationalism. In 1882 the university was divided into separate Czech and German faculties in order to permit the independent development of Czech studies, free of German cultural domination. One of the professors in the new Czech division was Tomáš Masaryk, who taught philosophy. He became the principal founder and the first president of the nation of Czechoslovakia, which was established after World War I when the Austrian Empire broke up. The new nation remained independent until it was dismembered by Nazi Germany in 1938–39; at that time the Czech studies division was also abolished.
After World War II the university suffered (along with the rest of the country) from the communist takeover of 1948. Severe restrictions were imposed on academic freedom by the Soviet satellite government. Nevertheless, students from the University played a role in the Prague Spring of 1968–69 and initiated, by their mass protests, the Velvet Revolution, which brought down the communist regime in 1989. Efforts are now underway to revive and expand the university's long-suppressed intellectual heritage.