Tartu university - time-honoured “Academia Gustaviana“
Academia Gustaviana, which was founded in 1632, is one of Northern Europe’s oldest and most traditional universities. At the same time, it is Tartu’s most dominating landmark and the intellectual centre of Estonia.
- Main building of Tartu`s university.
After a very successful developing phase under the Swedish rule, research and teaching in Tartu came to a standstill for the whole 18th century because of the instable or even warlike political circumstances in South Estonia.
In the meantime, teaching had to be moved to Pärnu. It was not until the building of a hospital and the opening of the observatory (the biggest and most modern at that time) in Tartu a few years later, that a new academic rise began.
As a tribute to the Russian Tsar’s political turn towards the “central Europe” all academic teaching was in the German language, until 1890. Professors as well as students from all German speaking centres in Mid-Europe came to take part in the academic life of the famous university. Therefore the University of Tartu is still best known in Germany.
- Oscar Wilde & Eduard Vilde: Fictitious meeting of intellectual namesakes.
Shortly after the First World War there was a radical change: Estonian became the teaching language at the University of Tartu. From now on Academia Gustaviana was established as Estonia’s national university (Tartu Ülikool) – a status which it has maintained until today.
Nowadays, the university is popular for the most modern research disciplines such as gene technology, laser, communication and environmental technologies. It is definitely the starting point for another successful academic century for the University of Tartu.
- Next topic: The Old Town Tartu
