Contents 

THE ACADEMIC NATIONS

The students were divided according to their place of origin into four Academic Nations. The Austrian Nation included the students from the Habsburg territories but also those from Italy and Churwalchen; the Rhenish Nation consisted of scholars from Bavaria, Swabia, Franconia, Hesse, the Lower Rhine and Western Europe; the Hungarian Nation contained not only Magyars but also students from Bohemia, Moravia, Poland and the other Slavic lands; the Saxon Nation, finally, comprised students from Northern Germany, Scandinavia and the British Isles. This division was established in 1384 and continued until 1838. Eleven years later the Academic nations were removed from the university community. In the Middle Ages they provided a counter-balance to the Faculties that were made up of Masters and Doctors. The freely elected national Procurators - mostly already graduates - were entitled to elect the Rector, and this they retained in Vienna until the university reform of 1849. In the 16th Century their influence on the university leadership was reduced, and this further restricted the students' voice, which had been very small from the outset. In addition to electing the Rector the Academic Nations fulfilled social duties (such as funerals), and celebrated the festivals of the national patron saints. The Patron of Austria was St. Koloman (13th October) and from the 16th century St. Leopold (16th November), the Rhenish Nation honoured St. Ursula and the 11,000 Virgins (21st October), the Hungarian Nation St. Ladislaus (27th June), and the Saxon Nation St. Maurice (22nd September).

During the Middle Ages the Rhenish Nation had the highest number of students in Vienna; at the beginning of the modern era the balance had swung in favour of the Austrian Nation. The catchment area of the University of Vienna had shrunk considerably and had also shifted from west to east.

The students lived for the most part in student hostels (known as Halls and Societies) where part of the teaching also took place. Life in Hall was subject to a strict regime that determined all the details of their routine. But as contemporary documents show, the disciplinary code was repeatedly contravened. There was a broad spectrum of misdemeanours that ranged from frequent violent riots to full-scale rebellions in pursuit of student demands.

Lit.: Pearl Kibre, The nations in the mediaeval universities (Massachusetts 1948); ¾ Astrid Steindl, Der Student in der mittelalterlichen Universitätsverfassung. In: Die Anfänge der Universität Wien (= Uni präsent 1990. Historische Spuren, Wien 1990) 78-86; ¾ Dies., Die Akademischen Nationen an der Universität Wien. In: Aspekte der Bildungs- und Universitätsgeschichte, 16. bis 19. Jahrhundert, hg. v. Kurt Mühlberger und Thomas Maisel (= Schriftenreihe des Universitätsarchivs, Universität Wien, Bd. 7, Wien 1993) 15-39.

The four Academic Nations meet in the Jesuit Theatre, ca. 1693 This scene takes place in the Great Theatre Hall in the Academic College (Bäckerstraße 20) that was completed in 1654. This was used for school drama but also for "Imperial Entertainments". In addition doctoral investitutes and university meetings were held here. The stage is decorated with the Imperial Two-headed Eagle, and below it the symbolic figures representing the four faculties. In the centre of the stage the Syndic is keeping a record of the proceedings, whilst the University Assembly, divided according to Academic Nations (1. Austrian, 2. Rhenish, 3. Hungarian, 4. Saxon) is debating the election of the Rector. The retiring Rector sits on the left hand spectators' rostrum. He has laid the Rector's insignia down beside him (Biretta, Epomis [shoulder piece], Sceptre) and is holding out the Book of Matriculation to the Assembly. (Original, engraving by C. G. Eimmart in Calendarium Academicum [...] Universitatis Viennensis, Viennae Austriae 1693)

St. Ladislaus, Patron of the Hungarian Academic Nation, fighting against a Kuman warrior. This is a page from the first volume of the Matriculation Book of the Hungarian Nation. The Hungarian Nation included all members of the university from the Crown Lands of Sts. Stephen and Wenceslas. This picture shows St. Ladislaus - Patron of the Hungarian Academic Nation - fighting against a Kuman warrior. (Original in the Archive of the University of Vienna, Codex NH 1)