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The University of Vienna (german: Universität Wien) is a public research university located in Vienna, Austria. It was founded by Duke Rudolph IV in 1365 and is the oldest university in the German-speaking world. With its long and rich history, the university has developed into one of the largest universities in Europe, and also one of the most renowned, especially in the Humanities. It is associated with 21 Nobel prize winners and has been the academic home to many scholars of historical as well as of academic importance.


History


From the Middle Ages to the Enlightenment

The university was founded on March 12, 1365, by Rudolf IV, Duke of Austria, hence the name "Alma Mater Rudolphina". After the Charles University in Prague and
Jagiellonian University The Jagiellonian University (Polish: ''Uniwersytet Jagielloński'', UJ) is a public research university in Kraków, Poland. Founded in 1364 by King Casimir III the Great, it is the oldest university in Poland and the 13th oldest university in ...
in Kraków, the University of Vienna is the third oldest university in Central Europe and the oldest university in the contemporary German-speaking world; it remains a question of definition as the Charles University in Prague was German-speaking when founded, too. However, Pope Urban V did not ratify the deed of foundation that had been sanctioned by Rudolf IV, specifically in relation to the department of theology. This was presumably due to pressure exerted by
Charles IV, Holy Roman Emperor Charles IV ( cs, Karel IV.; german: Karl IV.; la, Carolus IV; 14 May 1316 – 29 November 1378''Karl IV''. In: (1960): ''Geschichte in Gestalten'' (''History in figures''), vol. 2: ''F–K''. 38, Frankfurt 1963, p. 294), also known as Charle ...
, who wished to avoid competition for the Charles University in Prague. The pope later granted an endowment to the university in 1365, while papal assent was finally received in 1384. This led to the University of Vienna and its Faculty of Catholic Theology being granted the status of a full university. The first university building opened in 1385. It grew into the biggest university of the Holy Roman Empire, and during the advent of Humanism in the mid-15th century was home to more than 6,000 students. In its early years, the university had a partly hierarchical, partly cooperative structure, in which the
Rector Rector (Latin for the member of a vessel's crew who steers) may refer to: Style or title *Rector (ecclesiastical), a cleric who functions as an administrative leader in some Christian denominations *Rector (academia), a senior official in an edu ...
was at the top, while the students had little said and were settled at the bottom. The
Magister Magister is Latin for "master" or "teacher". It may refer to: Positions and titles * Magister degree, an academic degree * Magister equitum, or Master of the Horse * Magister militum, a master of the soldiers * Magister officiorum (''master of o ...
and Doctors constituted the four faculties and elected the academic officials from amidst their ranks. The students, but also all other Supposita (university members), were divided into four Academic Nations. Their elected board members, mostly graduates themselves, had the right to elect the Rector. He presided over the Consistory which included procurators of each of the nations and the faculty deans, as well as over the University Assembly, in which all university teachers participated. Complaints or appeals against decisions of faculty by the students had to be brought forward by a Magister or Doctor. Being considered a Papal Institution, the university suffered quite a setback during the Reformation. In addition, epidemics, economic stagnation and the first
Siege of Vienna Sieges of Vienna may refer to: * Siege of Vienna (1239) * Siege of Vienna (1276) * Siege of Vienna (1287) * Siege of Vienna (1477), unsuccessful Hungarian attempt during the Austro–Hungarian War. *Siege of Vienna (1485), Hungarian victory during ...
by Ottoman forces had devastating effects on the city, leading to a sharp decline in enrollment. For Emperor
Ferdinand I Ferdinand I or Fernando I may refer to: People * Ferdinand I of León, ''the Great'' (ca. 1000–1065, king from 1037) * Ferdinand I of Portugal and the Algarve, ''the Handsome'' (1345–1383, king from 1367) * Ferdinand I of Aragon and Sicily, '' ...
, this meant that the university should be tied to the church to an even stronger degree, and in 1551 he installed the Jesuit Order there. As time went on, conflicts between the Jesuit school and the university arose. This led Emperor Ferdinand II, in 1623, to pass a law that incorporated the Jesuit College into the university. It was only in the mid-18th century that the Jesuits lost influence over the university and when Empress
Maria Theresa Maria Theresa Walburga Amalia Christina (german: Maria Theresia; 13 May 1717 – 29 November 1780) was ruler of the Habsburg dominions from 1740 until her death in 1780, and the only woman to hold the position ''suo jure'' (in her own right). ...
ensured that the university went under the control of the monarchy. The university would later focus on the education of physicians and civil servants. Her successor Joseph II continued her reforms and further liberalized the university, abolishing official attire and allowing both Protestants and Jews to enroll by 1782, as well as introducing German as the compulsory language of instruction the year later.


From the 19th century onwards

Big changes were instituted in the wake of the Revolution in 1848, with the Philosophical Faculty being upgraded into equal status as Theology, Law and Medicine. Led by the reforms of
Leopold, Count von Thun und Hohenstein Leopold Graf von Thun und Hohenstein (7 April 181117 December 1888) was a leading Austrian statesman from the Thun und Hohenstein family. Early life He was born in Děčín (Tetschen) as the third son of Count Franz von Thun und Hohenstein. A ...
, the university was able to achieve a larger degree of academic freedom. The current main building on the Ringstraße was built between 1877 and 1884 by Heinrich von Ferstel. The previous main building was located close to the ''Stuben'' Gate (Stubentor) on Iganz Seipel Square, current home of the old University Church (''Universitätskirche'') and the Austrian Academy of Sciences (''Österreichische Akademie der Wissenschaften''). Women were admitted as full students from 1897, although their studies were limited to Philosophy. The remaining departments gradually followed suit, although with considerable delay: Medicine in 1900, Law in 1919, Protestant Theology in 1923 and finally Roman Catholic Theology in 1946. Ten years after the admission of the first female students,
Elise Richter Elise Richter (2 March 1865 – 23 June 1943) was an Austrian philologist, specialising in Romance studies, and university professor. She was the first woman to achieve the habilitation at the University of Vienna, the first female associate pr ...
became the first woman to receive ''
habilitation Habilitation is the highest university degree, or the procedure by which it is achieved, in many European countries. The candidate fulfills a university's set criteria of excellence in research, teaching and further education, usually including a ...
'', becoming professor of Romance Languages in 1907; she was also the first female distinguished professor. In the late 1920s, the university was in steady turmoil because of anti-democratic and anti-Semitic activity by parts of the student body. Professor Moritz Schlick was killed by a former student while ascending the steps of the university for a class. His murderer was later released by the Nazi regime. Following the Anschluss, the annexation of Austria into Greater Germany by the Nazi regime, in 1938 the University of Vienna was reformed under political aspects and a huge number of teachers and students were dismissed for political and "racial" reasons. In April 1945, the then 22-year-old Kurt Schubert, later acknowledged doyen of Judaic Studies at the University of Vienna, was permitted by the Soviet occupation forces to open the university again for teaching, which is why he is regarded as the unofficial first rector in the post-war period. On 25 April 1945, however, the constitutional lawyer
Ludwig Adamovich Ludwig may refer to: People and fictional characters * Ludwig (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters * Ludwig (surname), including a list of people * Ludwig Ahgren, or simply Ludwig, American YouTube live streamer and co ...
senior was elected as official rector of the University of Vienna. A large degree of participation by students and university staff was realized in 1975, however, the University Reforms of 1993 and 2002 largely re-established the professors as the main decision makers. However, also as part of the 2002 reform, the university, after more than 250 years of being largely under governmental control, finally regained its full legal capacity. The number of faculties and centers was increased to 18, and the whole of the medical faculty separated into the new
Medical University of Vienna The Medical University of Vienna (German: ''Medizinische Universität Wien'') is a public university located in Vienna, Austria. It is the direct successor to the faculty of medicine at the University of Vienna, founded in 1365 by Rudolf IV, Duk ...
.


Location

The University of Vienna does not have one single campus. Historically, the university started functioning from the First District near the Jesuit Church. Now, the academic facilities occupy more than sixty locations throughout the city of Vienna. The historical main building on the Ringstraße constitutes the university's centre and is commonly referred to as "die Uni". Most other larger university facilities and lecture halls are located nearby in the area of Vienna's First and Ninth District: the so-called new Lecture Hall Complex (Neues Institutgebäude, NIG), the lecture hall complex Althanstraße (UZA), the campus on the premises of the Historical General Hospital of Vienna, the Faculty of Law (Juridicum) and others. The Botanical Garden of the University of Vienna is housed in the Third District, as are the Department of Biochemistry and related research centres. Also worth mentioning is the Vienna Observatory, which belongs to the university, and the Institute for University Sports (USI), which offers training and recreational possibilities to all students of the university. In addition, the University of Vienna maintains facilities outside of Vienna in the Austrian provinces of Lower Austria, Upper Austria, and
Carinthia Carinthia (german: Kärnten ; sl, Koroška ) is the southernmost States of Austria, Austrian state, in the Eastern Alps, and is noted for its mountains and lakes. The main language is German language, German. Its regional dialects belong to t ...
. These are mainly research and experimental departments for Biology, Astrophysics and Sports.


Organization

The University of Vienna, like all universities and academies in Austria, once featured a system of democratic representation. Power in the university was divided equally among three groups: students (the largest group), junior faculty and full professors. All groups had the right to send representatives to boards, who then voted on almost every issue. From 2002 on, the government of Austria, headed by
chancellor Chancellor ( la, cancellarius) is a title of various official positions in the governments of many nations. The original chancellors were the of Roman courts of justice—ushers, who sat at the or lattice work screens of a basilica or law cou ...
Wolfgang Schüssel, reformed the university system, transforming the institutions into legal entities, but also concentrating power in the hands of the full professors. The reform also introduced a board of governors and tuition fees. In 2013, those amounted to about €381 per semester for students from Austria, the European Union as well as some non-EU countries, while students from developed non-EU countries usually pay double that amount. The reforms also separated the medical departments into separate medical schools, such as the
Medical University of Vienna The Medical University of Vienna (German: ''Medizinische Universität Wien'') is a public university located in Vienna, Austria. It is the direct successor to the faculty of medicine at the University of Vienna, founded in 1365 by Rudolf IV, Duk ...
.


Programmes

Students at the university can select from 181 degree programmes: 55 bachelor programmes, 110 master programmes, 3 diploma programs and 13 doctoral programmes. In the academic year 2013/14, the university awarded 7,745 first degrees (Bachelors and
Diplom A ''Diplom'' (, from grc, δίπλωμα ''diploma'') is an academic degree in the German-speaking countries Germany, Austria, and Switzerland and a similarly named degree in some other European countries including Albania, Bulgaria, Belarus ...
as), 1,424 Master's degrees and 568 Doctoral degrees. The university offers a number of Masters programs in English, including Quantitative Economics, Management and Finance, Science-Technology-Society, Environmental Sciences, Middle European interdisciplinary Master Programme in Cognitive Science, European Master in Health and Physical Activity, English Language and Linguistics, Anglophone Literatures and Cultures, East Asian Economy and Society, Economics, Botany, Ecology and Ecosystems, Molecular Microbiology, Microbial Ecology and Immunobiology, European Master in Urban Studies, Masters in European and International Business Law, Mathematics, etc. Some 6,900 scholars undertake the research and teaching activity of the university. Of these, approximately 1,000 engage actively in projects financed by third parties. The main fields of research at the university cover a wide spectrum of subjects: Catholic and Protestant Theology, Law, Economic Sciences and Computer Science, Philological-Cultural Studies and Historical-Cultural Studies, Social Sciences and Psychology, Life Sciences and Natural Sciences, Mathematics, Sports Sciences and Teacher Education.


Faculties and centres

The University of Vienna consists of 15 faculties and five centres: # Faculty of
Catholic Theology Catholic theology is the understanding of Catholic doctrine or teachings, and results from the studies of theologians. It is based on canonical scripture, and sacred tradition, as interpreted authoritatively by the magisterium of the Catholic ...
# Faculty of Protestant Theology # Faculty of Law # Faculty of Business, Economics and Statistics (not to be confused with the Vienna University of Economics and Business) # Faculty of Computer science # Faculty of Historical and Cultural Studies # Faculty of Philological and Cultural Studies # Faculty of Philosophy and Education # Faculty of Psychology # Faculty of Social sciences # Faculty of
Mathematics Mathematics is an area of knowledge that includes the topics of numbers, formulas and related structures, shapes and the spaces in which they are contained, and quantities and their changes. These topics are represented in modern mathematics ...
# Faculty of Physics # Faculty of
Chemistry Chemistry is the science, scientific study of the properties and behavior of matter. It is a natural science that covers the Chemical element, elements that make up matter to the chemical compound, compounds made of atoms, molecules and ions ...
# Faculty of Earth Sciences, Geography and Astronomy # Faculty of
Life sciences This list of life sciences comprises the branches of science that involve the scientific study of life – such as microorganisms, plants, and animals including human beings. This science is one of the two major branches of natural science, the ...
# Centre for Translation studies # Centre for Sport science and University Sports # Centre for Molecular biology # Centre for
Microbiology Microbiology () is the scientific study of microorganisms, those being unicellular (single cell), multicellular (cell colony), or acellular (lacking cells). Microbiology encompasses numerous sub-disciplines including virology, bacteriology, prot ...
and Environmental Systems Science # Centre for Teacher Education


Notable people


Faculty and scholars

Nobel Prize Laureates who taught at the University of Vienna include
Robert Bárány Robert Bárány ( hu, Bárány Róbert, ; 22 April 1876 – 8 April 1936) was an Austrian-born otologist. He received the 1914 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for his work on the physiology and pathology of the vestibular apparatus. Life ...
,
Julius Wagner-Jauregg Julius Wagner-Jauregg (; 7 March 1857 – 27 September 1940) was an Austrian physician, who won the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1927, and is the first psychiatrist to have done so. His Nobel award was "for his discovery of the therapeu ...
, Hans Fischer, Karl Landsteiner, Erwin Schrödinger, Victor Franz Hess, Otto Loewi, Konrad Lorenz and Friedrich Hayek. The University of Vienna was the cradle of the Austrian School of economics. The founders of this school who studied and later instructed at the University of Vienna included
Carl Menger Carl Menger von Wolfensgrün (; ; 28 February 1840 – 26 February 1921) was an Austrian economist and the founder of the Austrian School of economics. Menger contributed to the development of the theories of marginalism and marginal utility ...
, Eugen von Böhm-Bawerk, Friedrich von Wieser, Joseph Schumpeter, Ludwig von Mises and Friedrich Hayek. Other famous scholars who have taught at the University of Vienna are: Theodor W. Adorno, Alexander Van der Bellen, Manfred Bietak, Theodor Billroth, Ludwig Boltzmann,
Ulrich Brand Ulrich Brand (born April 15, 1967 in Mainau) is a German political scientist. Since September 2007 he has been a professor of International Politics at the University of Vienna. Biography In 1989, Ulrich Brand graduated from Business Administ ...
, Franz Brentano,
Anton Bruckner Josef Anton Bruckner (; 4 September 182411 October 1896) was an Austrian composer, organist, and music theorist best known for his symphonies, masses, Te Deum and motets. The first are considered emblematic of the final stage of Austro-Germ ...
,
Rudolf Carnap Rudolf Carnap (; ; 18 May 1891 – 14 September 1970) was a German-language philosopher who was active in Europe before 1935 and in the United States thereafter. He was a major member of the Vienna Circle and an advocate of logical positivism. He ...
, Conrad Celtes, Adrian Constantin, Viktor Frankl, Sigmund Freud,
Karl Samuel Grünhut Karl Samuel Grünhut (August 3, 1844 – October 1, 1929) was a Hungarian-born Jewish Austrian jurist. Life Grünhut was born on August 3, 1844 in Svätý Jur (Szentgyörgy/Yergen), Pozsony County, Hungary, the son of wine merchant Philipp Grünh ...
,
Eduard Hanslick Eduard Hanslick (11 September 18256 August 1904) was an Austrian music critic, aesthetician and historian. Among the leading critics of his time, he was the chief music critic of the ''Neue Freie Presse'' from 1864 until the end of his life. H ...
, Edmund Hauler,
Jalile Jalil Jalileh ( fa, جليله, also Romanized as Jalīleh; also known as Jalile) is a village in Gol-e Cheydar Rural District, Sarshiv District, Marivan County, Kurdistan Province, Iran. At the 2006 census, its population was 148, in 32 families. ...
,
Leon Kellner Leon, Léon (French) or León (Spanish) may refer to: Places Europe * León, Spain, capital city of the Province of León * Province of León, Spain * Kingdom of León, an independent state in the Iberian Peninsula from 910 to 1230 and again fro ...
, Hans Kelsen, Adam František Kollár, Johann Josef Loschmidt, Franz Miklosich, Oskar Morgenstern, Otto Neurath,
Johann Palisa Johann Palisa (6 December 1848 – 2 May 1925) was an Austrian astronomer, born in Troppau, Austrian Silesia, now Czech Republic. He was a prolific discoverer of asteroids, discovering 122 in all, from 136 Austria in 1874 to 1073 Gel ...
, Pope Pius II,
Karl Popper Sir Karl Raimund Popper (28 July 1902 – 17 September 1994) was an Austrian-British philosopher, academic and social commentator. One of the 20th century's most influential philosophers of science, Popper is known for his rejection of the cl ...
,
Elise Richter Elise Richter (2 March 1865 – 23 June 1943) was an Austrian philologist, specialising in Romance studies, and university professor. She was the first woman to achieve the habilitation at the University of Vienna, the first female associate pr ...
, Baron Carl von Rokitansky,
Rudolf von Scherer Rudolf Ritter von Scherer (11 August 1845, Graz – 21 December 1918, Vienna) was an Austrian religious law professor. Life Rudolf von Scherer was the son of Anton Ritter von Scherer and of the writer Sophie Ritter von Scherer, née Sockl. H ...
, Peter Schuster, August Schleicher, Moritz Schlick, Ludwig Karl Schmarda, Joseph von Sonnenfels, Josef Stefan, Olga Taussky-Todd,
Walter G. Url Walter Gustav Url was a Professor Emeritus in the Faculty of Life Sciences of the University of Vienna who was notable for his work on membranes, plant physiology, and scientific film. Personal life Walter Gustav Url Royal Microscopical Society, ...
,
Leopold Vietoris Leopold Vietoris (; ; 4 June 1891 – 9 April 2002) was an Austrian mathematician, World War I veteran and supercentenarian. He was born in Radkersburg and died in Innsbruck. He was known for his contributions to topology—notably the Mayer–V ...
, Carl Auer von Welsbach, and Wilhelm Winkler.


Alumni

Some of the university's better-known students include: Kurt Adler, Franz Alt,
Wilhelm Altar Wilhelm Altar (August 27, 1900 - January 1, 1995), known to family and colleagues as William Altar, was an Austrian-born theoretical physicist whose significant contributions led to the development of the magneto ionic theory. Altar contributed ...
, Maria Anwander, Bruno Bettelheim, Rudolf Bing, Lucian Blaga, Hedda Bolgar, Josef Breuer,
F. F. Bruce Frederick Fyvie Bruce (12 October 1910 – 11 September 1990), usually cited as F. F. Bruce, was a Scottish biblical scholar who supported the historical reliability of the New Testament. His first book, ''New Testament Documents: Are They ...
, Elias Canetti, Ivan Cankar, Otto Maria Carpeaux, Christian Doppler, Felix Ehrenhaft, Mihai Eminescu,
Stephen Ferguson Stephen Ferguson is a Scottish musician, composer and producer living in Vienna. Ferguson has since the early 1980s composed and produced film and movie scores, and has been praised as a composer of "undisputed originality". Education Ferguson ...
, Paul Feyerabend, Heinz Fischer, O. W. Fischer, Ivan Franko, Sigmund Freud,
Adolf Albrecht Friedländer Adolf Albrecht Friedländer (8 August 1870 – 19 January 1949) was an Austrian neurologist and psychiatrist. He studied medicine at the University of Vienna, and completed further training in psychiatry. Beginning in 1897, he was assistant doct ...
, Alcide De Gasperi, Hilda Geiringer,
Kurt Gödel Kurt Friedrich Gödel ( , ; April 28, 1906 – January 14, 1978) was a logician, mathematician, and philosopher. Considered along with Aristotle and Gottlob Frege to be one of the most significant logicians in history, Gödel had an imme ...
, Ernst Gombrich, Franz Grillparzer, Werner Gruber, Jörg Haider, Hans Hahn, Theodor Herzl, Hugo von Hofmannsthal, Edmund Husserl,
Marie Jahoda Marie Jahoda (26 January 1907 – 28 April 2001) was an Austrian-British social psychologist. Biography Jahoda was born in Vienna to a Jewish merchant's family, and like many other psychologists of her time, grew up in Austria where political o ...
,
Max Jammer Max Jammer (מקס ימר; born Moshe Jammer, ; April 13, 1915 – December 18, 2010), was an Israeli physicist and philosopher of physics. He was born in Berlin, Germany. He was Rector and Acting President at Bar-Ilan University from 1967 to 1 ...
, Elfriede Jelinek, Percy Lavon Julian,
Percy Julian Percy Lavon Julian (April 11, 1899 – April 19, 1975) was an American research chemist and a pioneer in the chemical synthesis of medicinal drugs from plants. He was the first to synthesize the natural product physostigmine and was a pioneer in ...
, Karl Kautsky,
Elisabeth Kehrer Elisabeth Kehrer (born 15 February 1961, in Vienna) was the Austrian consul general in Chicago. Kehrer was also ambassador to Finland and Austria's first ambassador to Malta. In 1984 Kehrer was awarded a Doctorate of Laws (LL.D.) from the Univer ...
,
Leon Kellner Leon, Léon (French) or León (Spanish) may refer to: Places Europe * León, Spain, capital city of the Province of León * Province of León, Spain * Kingdom of León, an independent state in the Iberian Peninsula from 910 to 1230 and again fro ...
, Hans Kelsen,
Hryhoriy Khomyshyn Hryhoriy Khomyshyn (also ''Hryhorij Khomyshyn'', uk, Григорій Лукич Хомишин, pl, Grzegorz Chomyszyn) was a Ukrainian Greek Catholic bishop and hieromartyr. Khomyshyn was born on 25 March 1867 in the village of Hadynkivtsi, ...
, Jan Kickert, Rudolf Kirchschläger, Arthur Koestler, Jernej Kopitar, Karl Kordesch, Arnold Krammer, Karl Kraus, Bruno Kreisky,
Karl Samuel Grünhut Karl Samuel Grünhut (August 3, 1844 – October 1, 1929) was a Hungarian-born Jewish Austrian jurist. Life Grünhut was born on August 3, 1844 in Svätý Jur (Szentgyörgy/Yergen), Pozsony County, Hungary, the son of wine merchant Philipp Grünh ...
,
Anneliese Hitzenberger Anneliese Hitzenberger (30 March 1905 – 31 July 2003) was an Austrian physician. Early life and education Anna Elisabeth Kosak was born in Vienna, capital of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, on 30 March 1905. Her family moved to Bregenz when World W ...
, Richard Kuhn, Hermann F. Kvergić, Paul Lazarsfeld, Ignacy Łukasiewicz,
Gustav Mahler Gustav Mahler (; 7 July 1860 – 18 May 1911) was an Austro-Bohemian Romantic composer, and one of the leading conductors of his generation. As a composer he acted as a bridge between the 19th-century Austro-German tradition and the modernism ...
, Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk,
Lise Meitner Elise Meitner ( , ; 7 November 1878 – 27 October 1968) was an Austrian-Swedish physicist who was one of those responsible for the discovery of the element protactinium and nuclear fission. While working at the Kaiser Wilhelm Institute on rad ...
, Gregor Mendel, Karl Menger,
Franz Mesmer Franz Anton Mesmer (; ; 23 May 1734 – 5 March 1815) was a German physician with an interest in astronomy. He theorised the existence of a natural energy transference occurring between all animated and inanimate objects; this he called " ani ...
, Franz Miklosich, Alois Mock, Wolf-Dieter Montag, Matija Murko, Joachim Oppenheim,
Eduard Pernkopf Eduard Pernkopf (November 24, 1888 – April 17, 1955) was an Austrian professor of anatomy who later served as rector of the University of Vienna, his ''alma mater''. He is best known for his seven-volume anatomical atlas, ''Topographische Anatom ...
, Anton Piëch, Pope Pius III, Hans Popper,
Karl Popper Sir Karl Raimund Popper (28 July 1902 – 17 September 1994) was an Austrian-British philosopher, academic and social commentator. One of the 20th century's most influential philosophers of science, Popper is known for his rejection of the cl ...
, Otto Preminger, Wilhelm Reich, Peter Safar,
Monika Salzer Monika Salzer (born 11 February 1948) is an Austrian psychotherapist, Protestant theologian and pastor, columnist, and author. She worked in hospitals handling clinical pastoral care for the seriously ill, including the education of voluntary ca ...
, Mordkhe Schaechter,
Karl Schenkl Karl Schenkl (Brno, 11 December 1827 Graz, 20 September 1900) was an Austrian Classics#Philology, classical philologist. Biography Schenkl studied Classics#Philology, classical philology and law from 1845 to 1849 at the University of Vienna. Afte ...
, Peter Schuster, Arthur Schnitzler,
Marianne Schmidl Marianne Schmidl (3 August 1890 in Berchtesgaden – April 1942 in the Izbica Ghetto) was first woman to graduate with a doctorate in ethnology from the University of Vienna. An Austrian ethnologist, teacher, librarian and art collector, Schmidl wa ...
, Andreas Schnider,
Albin Schram Albin Schram (1926–2005) was one of the greatest collectors of autograph letters by shapers of world history. He was born in Prague to Austrian parents. He studied law at Vienna University and worked in Vienna, Germany and Switzerland. After the a ...
, Joseph Schumpeter, Wolfgang Schüssel, John J. Shea, Jr., Felix Somary, Adalbert Stifter, Countess Stoeffel,
Yemima Tchernovitz-Avidar Yemima Avidar-Tchernovitz ( he, ימימה אבידר-טשרנוביץ; October 8, 1909 – March 20, 1998) was an Israeli author whose works became classics of modern Hebrew children's literature. Born in Vilna, Lithuania, in 1909, she arrived i ...
, Eric Voegelin, Kurt Waldheim, Otto Weininger,
Slavko Wolf Dr. Slavko Wolf (born Samuel Wolf, yi, שְׁמוּאֵל װאָלףֿ; 26 December 1862 7 November, 1936) was a Croatian lawyer, chess player and writer. Wolf was born on 26 December 1862 in Tata, in Komárom-Esztergom County of the Kingdom of ...
, Eduard Zirm, Mordecai Sandberg,
Calvin Edouard Ward Calvin Edouard Ward (April 19, 1925 – February 10, 2018) was an American concert pianist, music theorist and educator. Biography He was born in Atlanta, GA, and educated at Morehouse College, Northwestern University and the University of Vien ...
,
Paul Niel Paul Niel is an Austrian investor, adventurer, explorer and public speaker based in Hong Kong. He has organized and participated in more than 15 expeditions across all continents. In 2013, Niel summitted Mount Everest and Lhotse, the world's fou ...
,
Stefan Zweig Stefan Zweig (; ; 28 November 1881 – 22 February 1942) was an Austrian novelist, playwright, journalist, and biographer. At the height of his literary career, in the 1920s and 1930s, he was one of the most widely translated and popular write ...
, and Huldrych Zwingli.


Nobel Prize Laureates

There are total 16 Nobel Prize Laureates affiliated to the university as follows:


The University Library

The University Library of the University of Vienna comprises the Main Library and the 50 departmental libraries at the various university locations throughout Vienna. The library's primary responsibility is to the members of the university; however, the library's 350 staff members also provide access to the public. Use of the books in the reading halls is open to all persons without the need for identification, which is only required for checking out books. The library's website provides direct access to information such as electronic journals, online indices and databases.


Library history

Rudolf IV had already provided for a ''publica libraria'' in the Foundation Deed of 12 March 1365, where the valuable books bequeathed by deceased members of the university should be collected. Through many legacies, this collection was subsequently greatly increased and became the basis of the old ''Libreye'' that was accommodated in the same building as the student infirmary. In addition, there were libraries in the separate Faculties and in the Duke's College. From the 17th century onwards, interest in the old library, with its manuscripts and incunabulae, went into decline and the modern library in the Jesuit College came to the fore. In 1756, the oldest university library was finally closed down and its books, 2,787 volumes, were incorporated into the Court Library, of which Gerard van Swieten was then director. After the dissolution of the Jesuit order (1773), the new "Academic Library" was created out of the book collections of the five Lower Austrian Colleges and many duplicates from the Court Library. This was opened on 13 May 1777, the birthday of Maria Theresa of Austria, in the building of the Academic College. Initially, the stock consisted of some 45,000 books and during Emperor Joseph II's dissolution of the monasteries, this was soon considerably extended. In contrast to its antecedents, the new library was open to the general public. Between 1827 and 1829, it acquired the classicist extension (Postgasse 9) to the Academic College, in which it was to be accommodated until 1884. In this year, the main library, with some 300,000 books, moved to Heinrich von Ferstel's new Main Building on the Ring, where stacks for some 500,000 volumes had already been prepared. With an annual growth of up to 30,000 volumes, the surplus space was soon filled. Book storage space had to be extended continuously. One hundred years later, the complete library, including departmental and subject libraries, comprised more than 4.3 million volumes. Today, Vienna's University Library is the largest collection of books in Austria, still facing problems of space. In addition to the Main Library, which alone has to cope with an annual growth of 40,000 volumes, it includes three Faculty Libraries, 32 Subject Libraries and 26 Departmental Libraries.


Library statistics

* Book inventory: 7,650,412 (of which 2,900,936 belong to the Main Library) * Journals: 10,100 in print, 80,000 E-Journals * Active borrowers: * Search queries in the online catalogue: 10,942,100 * Borrowings and renewals of books: 3,604,707 * Oldest book: Pliny the Elder, '' Historia naturalis'' (1469
digital Full text
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International acclaim

The University of Vienna has the highest ranking in Arts and Humanities, where it is placed 35 and 54th in the world according to the THE and
QS ranking ''QS World University Rankings'' is an annual publication of university rankings by Quacquarelli Symonds (QS). The QS system comprises three parts: the global overall ranking, the subject rankings (which name the world's top universities for the ...
respectively. Outstanding subjects include Geography (ranked 28th globally in 2013), Linguistics and Philosophy (both 46th globally) and Law (ranked 32nd in Europe and 73rd globally). It is rated high in academic reputation and number of international students, but low in terms of faculty to student ratio and citations per faculty. An overview of the QS World University Rankings by subjects: The Times Higher Education World University Rankings by subjects:


Gallery

File:Uni Wien Hallway, Vienna.jpg, A hallway at the University of Vienna File:Uni Wien Ferstel Denkmal, Vienna.jpg, Bust of
Heinrich Ferstel Freiherr Heinrich von Ferstel (7 July 1828 14 July 1883) was an Austrian architect and professor, who played a vital role in building late 19th-century Vienna. Life The son of Ignaz Ferstel (17961866), a bank clerk and later director of the ...
, the constructor of the main building File:Erwin Schrodinger at U Vienna.JPG, Bust of Erwin Schrödinger in the courtyard arcade File:Ludwig Boltzmann at U Vienna.JPG, Bust of Ludwig Boltzmann in the courtyard arcade File:Rudolf Scherer.jpg, Bust of
Rudolf von Scherer Rudolf Ritter von Scherer (11 August 1845, Graz – 21 December 1918, Vienna) was an Austrian religious law professor. Life Rudolf von Scherer was the son of Anton Ritter von Scherer and of the writer Sophie Ritter von Scherer, née Sockl. H ...
in the courtyard arcade File:University of Vienna - Botanical Garden.jpg, Botanical Garden of the University of Vienna File:Festsaal - University of Vienna.JPG, Main Ceremonial Chamber (''Festsaal'') in the Main Building


See also

* Education in Austria *
Klimt University of Vienna Ceiling Paintings The ''Klimt University of Vienna Ceiling Paintings'', also known as the ''Faculty Paintings'', were a series of paintings made by Gustav Klimt for the ceiling of the University of Vienna's Great Hall between the years of 1900–1907. In 1894, Kli ...
*
Institute Vienna Circle The Institute Vienna Circle (IVC) ("Society for the Advancement of the Scientific World Conception") was founded in October 1991 as an international nonprofit organization dedicated to the work and influence of the Vienna Circle of Logical Empiric ...
* List of medieval universities * Ludwig Boltzmann Institut für Menschenrechte *
Roman Sebastian Zängerle Roman Sebastian Zängerle (January 20, 1771, Ober-Kirchberg near Ulm – April 17, 1848 at Seckau in Austria) was Prince-Bishop of Seckau. Biography After studying with the Benedictines at Wiblingen Abbey, Zängerle became a novice there in 1 ...
* Vienna Observatory *
Francis Stephen Award The Francis Stephen Award (german: Franz Stephan Preis; french: Prix Franz Stephan) is an international scientific honor given to researchers in the humanities and social sciences. It is awarded every two or three years by the ''Österreichische Ges ...
* List of Jesuit sites


Notes and references


External links


University of Vienna
(English version)
Information for Students at the University of Vienna
(English version) {{DEFAULTSORT:Vienna, University Of 1360s establishments in the Holy Roman Empire 1365 establishments in Europe 14th century in Austria Educational institutions established in the 14th century Buildings and structures in Vienna Universities and colleges in Vienna