VIENNA
421
VIENNA
fVohlUUiekeilstereine der Stadt Wein (Vienna. 1905) ; Mates, Das
kirchtiche Leben uiid die chriMliche Charitas in Wien (Vienna,
1905); Wien am Anfang des SO, Jahrhunderts, herausgegeben vom
Architekten- und Ingenieruverein (2 vols., Vienna, 1905-06);
Starzer, Quellen zur Geschichte der Stadt Wien, I (Vienna. 1906) ;
Grippel, Geschichte des fUrsterzbischdfiichen Knabenseminars der
Erzdidzese Wien (Vienna, 1906); Petermann, Wien im Zeitalter
Kaiser Fram Josephs I. (Vienna. 1908); Boeglin, Vienne (Paris,
1910): WiLHELM, Wien (Vienna. 1910); Kralie and Schlitter.
Wien, Geschichte der Kaiserstadt und ihrer KtUtur (Vienna. 1912);
Pezzl. Skizzen ton Wien, ed. Bl^Jmml (2 vols.. Munich. 1912);
Personalstand der S&kutar- und Regulargeistlichkeit der Wiener
Erzdidzese (Vienna. 1912). JoSEPH LiNS.
Vienna, University op. — Foundation of the Uni- versity. — Next to the University of Prague that of Vienna is the oldest university of the former Holy Roman Empire. It was founded on 12 March, 1365, by Rudolph IV, Duke of Austria, and its charter con- firmed on IS July of the same year by Urban V, a faculty of theology not being included in the papal authorization. The school, planned on too large a scale and not sufficiently en- dowed, did not pros- per; moreover, the duke died on 27 July at Milan. About 1380 his successor, Albert III, called teachers from Paris and obtained per- mission from Urban VI, 20 Feb., 1384, for the establishment of a theological fac- ulty. After the draw- ing up of the univer- sity statutes in 138.5, and of the .statutes of the faculties of theology, law, medi- The University
cine, and philosophy on 1 April, 1389, the or- ganization of the university on the model of Paris was complete. All members of the university, scholars, bachelors, licentiates (who were obhgcd to lecture for a certain period), and doctors, were divided into "nations", Austrian, Rhenish, Hun- garian, and Saxon. Each "nation" elected a proctor from its membership; the head of the university was the rector elected semi-annually by the proctors, while his council was composed of the proctors and the deans of the faculties. The university was subject to the ruler of the country, who was its patron, but otherwise it was autonomous and had its own juris- diction. The ])ermanent ecclesiastical representative of the university was the cathedral provost of St. Stephen's, who was chancellor of the university and conferred the academic' degrees.
During the first century of its existence the univer- sity repeatedly provi'd that it was founded as an in.stitution of the Church <-liiefly for the extension and defence of the Faith. .\n address of loyalty {rotulits) was sent to each newly-elected pope with ,a request for the confirmation and increa.se of the privileges. As an ecclesi-astical corporation the university took an active part in the Councils of Pisa (1409), Con- stance (1414), and Basle (1431), ,and in several pro- vincial synods. In that era of incessant disorder and scanty revenues, the continued existence of a uni- versity was possible only when closely connected with the Church and under the protection of the papacy. The popes gr.anted important rights, e. g., the privi- lege, granted on 20 Feb., 13S4, and 27 May, 1399, that distant benefices of priests teacliing and studj'ing at Vienna could be .administered by a vicar; the appointment of ecc!esi.a.st ical conserv-ators (17 Aug., 1411; 21 May, 1434; 12 July. 1513); ecclesiastical jurisdiction with the right of pronouncing excom-
munication (27 May, 1420; 16 Feb., 1441; 12 July,
1513; 1 July, 1517), and the right of trying and
judging heretics (16 Feb., 1441). Physicians (28
March, 1452) were protected by a letter of the Bishop
of Passau in 1406 excommunicating quacks. The
subject-matter taught was confined to prescribed
books, the method of teaching rigidly scholastic.
The theological students were hmited to the Scrip-
tures and dogmatic theology, pastoral theology and
Hebrew being added later. At first, in the faculty of
law, canon law alone was taught, but Roman law was
added in 1494; medicine was still entirely under the
spell of sterile Arabian theories. The widest range of
subjects belonged to the philosophical (liberal arts)
faculty, which, as the introductory course to the three
"higher faculties", had the largest number of students.
Among the celebrated mathematicians and astrono-
mers of this faculty were Johannes of Gmunden
(about 1380-1442),
George of Peuerbach
(1423-61), and Jo-
hannes Miiller of
Konigsberg, also
called Regiomonta-
nus (1436-76). A
distinguished theolo-
gian and statesman
was Thomas Eben-
dorffer (1387-1464),
noted for his part in
the Council of Basle.
Period of Prosper-
ity and Humanism.
— During the reign
of Maximilian I
(U03-1519) the uni-
versity enjoyed its
tiist period of pros-
peritv; with the rise
BniLDiNos, Vienna of Humanism about
1490, the influence of the Church steadily de- creased.
Decline: Reforms. — The disorders after Maxi- milian's death and the appearance of Luther's doc- trines in Austria caused the university to decline rapidly. As early as 1511 it refused to .send a repre- sentative to a council. The laxity of the medical and philosophical faculties in regard to heretics obliged the theological faculty on 14 July, 1526, to give back to the bishop authority in such matters. During the years 152.5->30 the munber of students steadily declined, the faculty of law w.as hardly more than nominal, and in 1529 that of theology had but two professors. Only the strong hand of Ferdinand I (1522-1564) saved the university from complete decay; reforming statutes were promulgated on 2 Aug., 1.5.33, 15 Sept., 1537, and 1 Jan., 15.54. It was placed under the direction of a superintendent with large powers, who was appointed by the sover- eign. Teachers having regular salaries were ap- pointed to each faculty; the faculties of medicine and theology had each three such professors, the faculty of law four. The period of study w.as made five years, for the philosophical course two years. In the medical department more attention w.as to be paid to practical branches; in the law cour.se Roman l;xw was madethemost important study. In 1.551 Ferdinand I called the Jesuits to V"ienna to revive the religious spirit and on 17 Nov., 1558, gave them two perma- nent theological professorships. The Jesuits estab- lished a Latin school and a house of studies, and gave philosophical courses that were largely attended.
Non-Cat)wlic Tendency and the Counter-Rrfnrmalion. — From 30 March, 1.546, each new professor was obliged to submit to an examination of his orthodox-^-, in order to prevent the admission of heretics. This regulation was annulled on 5 Sept., 1564, by Maxi-
