History of CU



                                    http://tarantula.ruk.cuni.cz/UKENG-181.html








            ******************************************************************************************

            * History of CU
            ******************************************************************************************
            A Czech and Roman king Charles IV founded the Prague university by a deed of foundation on

            as a first university (studium generale) to the north of the Alps and to the east of Paris
            University belongs to old European universities. It followed the example of the Bolognese 
            universities and in a short time became internationally famous. The university consists of

            faculty of theology, of arts, of law, and of medicine. Not only Czech but also many foreig
            students were members of the academic community of the university, especially those from C
            areas for whom the university in Prague became accessible and erudite university of studiu

            Charles´s son and successor Wenceslas IV extended his influence on the university and in 1
            also the position of the native members of the academic community by a Kutna Hora Decree. 

            character of the Prague studium generale was emphasized by the protest departure of a part
            scholars from the Prague university. Shortly after the Prague university influenced by the
            preceding the European Reformation changed its character. The university rector, Master Ja

            very influential at the university. In following social and political revolution the unive
            to one faculty- faculty of arts (artium)- as a prototype of future territorial reformation


            He created a cultural metropolis where besides a court center (with scholars Joannes Keple
            Brahe)also a university erudition was developing.


            At the beginning of the 17th century the University was considerably influenced by politic
            estates which were involved in the antihapsburg opposition whose political representatives
            conflict at the beginning of the first European war ( the Thirty Years´ War in 1618-1648).

            caused a radical change at the university.  A victorious Roman emperor and Czech king Ferd
            amalgamated a Carolingian university and a Jesuit university in Clementinum (whose beginni
            1556) into a university with a new name Charles-Ferdinand University (the name survived un

            university re-established all four faculties which it had consisted of before the Hussite 
            was growing from a former free corporation of intellectuals into a public educational inst
            process was rounded off with reforms of the absolutist regime of the emperor Joseph II in 


            The university started to grow into a modern university during the reforms in 1848/49. It 
            changing into a public institute educating a professional intelligentsia class. In 1882, i

            of a high national political movement, the Charles-Ferdinand University in Prague was divi
            universities: Czech and German.   


            At the turn of the 20th century have both universities reached a high scientific level. At
            university there worked e.g. professor Albert Einstein. At the Czech university there were
            personalities who played an important part in a state-political emancipation process, espe

            Thomas G. Masaryk who became first president of an independent Czechoslovak Republic in 19
            University- a name of the Czech university in an independent state- took advantage of new 
            develop a scientific research and some of its results achieved a world standards. We shoul

            discoveries of professor Jaroslav Heyrovsky in the field of polarography which brought him
            1959.    


            The Hitlerian occupation of Czechoslovakia caused a terrible disaster and loss. After stud
            demonstrations on October 28, 1939 and during a funeral of a medical student Jan Opletal w
            universities closed down on November 17, 1939, and a persecution of students and universit

            followed. 

            The Charles University could take up its activity after the World War Two. The German univ

            which joined the association of Reich universities in 1939 came to an end simultaneously w
            Reich.  


            Free development of activity at Charles University was interrupted after a communist coup 
            The regime subordinated the education and research to an ideological and political control
            the international relations and the impulses of science were affected. Students loyal to a

            liberty principles protested against a totalitarian system on November 17, 1989 and initia
            the regime.      


            Supported by international cooperation a modern university life developed rapidly. The Cha
            keeps developing a systematic research cooperation and takes part in both European and int
            programs.