Jagiellonian University – Kraków
Polish figure of the „Transfer of the culture” topic
The Academy of Kraków (Studium Generale) was founded by Casimir III the Great in 1364. It was largely modeled after the University of Bologna. The foundation of the Academy was inextricably connected with the legal reform implemented by Casimir. Therefore, the Studium Generale was intended to educate native lawyers and administrators. The favor of queen Jadwiga was also particularly important to the Academy. She financed the restoration of the Academy by donating her own jewelry. Moreover, a new faculty of theology was also established. As a result, the name of the Academy was changed to Jagiellonian University.
Over the years, many important and well-known personalities graduated from the Jagiellonian University. Importantly, their activities not only influenced Polish culture and science, but also contributed to the fame of the University’s name. Among the graduates of the university one can find such personalities as: Nicolaus Copernicus, Jan Długosz, Jan Kochanowski, Hugo Kołłątaj, Bronisław Malinowski or Wisława Szymborska. Interestingly, the mentioned graduates as well as others were associated with a wide range of disciplines.
With this regard, one should highlight that the Jagiellonian University influenced Polish culture in other ways as well. This fact was particularly noticeable during partitions of Poland and two world wars. The institution served as a guardian of Polish culture and identity by educating successive generations of Poles, especially during the period of Germanization, when teaching in Polish language was temporarily prohibited, and during the World War II.
References:
Dybiec J., Popularyzacja dziejów Uniwersytetu Jagiellońskiego [in:] Przestrzeń informacji i komunikacji społecznej, ed. M. Kocój, Kraków 2004, pp. 323-332.
Iwanowicz A., Wpływ idei jagiellońskich na walkę o polonizację i niezależność Uniwersytetu Jagiellońskiego w XVIII i XIX w., Perspektywy Kultury 41 (2003), no. 2, pp. 153-164.
Jadwiga [in:] Encyclopedia Britannica, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Jadwiga,
13 August 2024.
Rhode, G. K. S., Casimir III [in:] Encyclopedia Britannica, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Casimir-III, 13 August 2024.
Uniwersytet Jagielloński, Collegium Medicum, https://www.cm-uj.krakow.pl/index.php/collegium/historia/#h2, 13 August 2024.
Facts
