The University of Tartu is a classical university in the city of Tartu,
Estonia. It is the national university of Estonia. University of Tartu is the
only classical university in the country and also the biggest and most
prestigious university in Estonia. The University of Tartu is a member of
the Coimbra Group and the Utrecht Network. It was established by King
Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden in 1632, thus being one of the oldest
universities in Northern Europe. According to QS World University
Rankings it is ranked 400th in the world and the top-ranked university in the
Baltics. Times Higher Education World University Rankings places it in the
351–400 range among world universities. History
= Academia Gustaviana = The Academia Gustaviana in the then
Swedish province of Livonia was the second university founded in the Swedish
Empire, following Uppsala University and preceding the Academy of Åbo. A
precursor to the academy had been a Jesuit grammar school Gymnasium
Dorpatense, founded by Stefan Batory in 1583 and existing to 1601, when Tartu
was under Polish–Lithuanian rule. The first students immatriculated
between 20–21 April 1632. The opening ceremony of Academia Dorpatensis took
place on 15 October in the same year. The academy in Tartu functioned with
Philosophy, Law, Theology and Medical Faculties enjoying the privileges of the
University of Uppsala. On account of the Russian–Swedish war, the University of
Tartu moved to Tallinn in 1656 and in 1665 it closed down. In the 17th century
the future outstanding Swedish scholars Urban Hiärne, Olof Verelius, Arvid
Moller and others studied at the university. Among the academic staff
were Friedrich Menius, Professor of History; Sven Dimberg, Professor of
Mathematics; Olaus Hermelin, Professor of Rhetoric and Poetry; Lars Micrander,
Professor of Medicine; Georg Mancelius, Professor of Theology. In 1690 Tartu
became a university town again. Academia Gustavo-Carolina shortly after that
moved from Tartu to Pärnu as a result of the coalition against Sweden and the
Great Famine of 1695–1697. Academia Gustavo-Carolina, which had opened in
Pärnu on 28 August 1699 was closed because of the surrender to Russian
forces on 12 August 1710 during the Great Northern War. According to the
terms of the capitulation, the Russians agreed to maintain the university in
Pärnu. The university was reopened only in 1802 by the Baltic German
Ritterschaften, the new German speaking University was re-launched and had its
new charter was confirmed by reform-minded Alexander I of Russia in
1802. = Universität Dorpat =
The University was re-opened by the Baltic Germans in Estonia in April 1802.
The language of instruction at Dorpat was German from 1802 to 1893. During
that time, Dorpat had a dual nature in that it belonged both to the set of
German(-language) and Russian universities. Financially and
administratively, the latter was more important; intellectually and regarding
the professoriate and students, the former was more important. Among the 30
German-language universities, of which 23 were inside the German Empire, Dorpat
was the 11th in size. In teaching, the university educated the local Baltic
German leadership and professional classes as well as staff especially for
the administration and health system of the entire Russian Empire. In
scholarship, it was an international university; the time between 1860 and
1880 was its "golden age". The freedom to be a half-German
university ceased with the rise of nationalist tendencies in Russia, which
held homogenization more important than retaining a bi-lingual university.
Between 1882 and 1898, Russification in language, appointments, etc., was
imposed, with some exceptions. By 1898, when both the town and the university
were renamed Yuryev, virtually all distinguished scholars from Germany had
left. The University of Yuryev existed until 1918, when during part of the fall
term, it was reopened, under German occupation, as Dorpat. Russian academic
staff and students took refuge in Voronezh in Russia, giving rise to the
foundation of Voronezh State University, which traces its own history back to the
foundation of the University of Tartu and still holds several physical
properties of the latter. = University of Tartu =
Since Estonia became independent in 1918, the University of Tartu has been
an Estonian-language institution since 1919. The university was named
Ostland-Universität in Dorpat during the German occupation of Estonia in
1941–1944 and Tartu State University in 1940–1941 and 1944–1989, during the
Soviet occupation. During Soviet rule, although Estonian remained the principal
language of instruction, some courses were taught in Russian, and there were
several Russian curricula. Estonia regained independence in 1991, and the
full recovery of academic autonomy of the University can be dated to 1992.
Presently there are no courses in Russian.
The last decade has been marked by organizational and structural changes,
as well as adaptations to various university models against the background
of the Soviet and Baltic German past. Most recently, the university has been
and is still being marked by the adaptation of the Bologna declaration in
Estonia generally and Tartu specifically, leading to major changes
in curricula and studies, as well as by strong organizational centralization
attempts. Recent plans also include the abolition of the Chair system and of the
Faculties, which is supposed to lead to four large divisions under briefly
serving deans and rector-appointed financial administrators.
Buildings The university’s four museums, its
Botanical Gardens, and sports facilities are, by and large, open to the general
public. The University possesses some 150 buildings, 30 of which are outside
of Tartu. 31 of its buildings decorate the city as architectural monuments.
However, the current reforms include attempts to sell, or have the state
co-sponsor, several of these buildings and monuments, as well as sports
facilities, as they are not seen as part of the university's mission proper.
At the same time, there are numerous recently constructed/renovated
university buildings and student dormitories, such as the Von Bock House.
Many of the new buildings are built to Maarjamõisa, such as the Technology
Institute, the Biomedical Center, the Chemistry building, and the new Physics
building. Research
Lectinology, the science of lectins was founded at the University of Tartu in
1888 with the publication of Peter Hermann Stillmark's thesis about the
isolation of Ricin. At the University of Tartu, currently
more than 3,300 scientific publications are produced every year. About half of
all publications by Estonian scientists in journals are written by Tartu
authors. According to the university
administration, the most remarkable recent research achievements have been
in the fields of molecular and cell biology, gene technology, immunology,
pharmacology, laser medicine, materials science, laser spectroscopy,
biochemistry, environmental technology, theoretical computer science, and
psychology. The university cooperates with private
enterprises, and acts itself as a nucleus for the development of spin-off
firms. People
See: People associated with the University of Tartu
Students and teaching The number of students is over 17,000.
The language of instruction in most curricula is Estonian, with notable
exceptions including Semiotics, Computer Science, and Software Engineering.
International cooperation In the Erasmus programme for student
exchange, the University of Tartu cooperates with more than 200
universities in 26 countries. In 2007/2008, there were about 175 Erasmus
students at UT. The vast majority comes from Finland, Germany, Italy, France and
Spain. The University of Tartu also
participates in the Coimbra Group, the Utrecht Network and Atomium Culture. It
has signed bilateral co-operation agreements with about 70 universities
See also List of early modern universities in
Europe Tartu University Clinic
Tartu University Library Tartu University Press
Tartu Semiotic School Copenhagen-Tartu school
Tartu Ülikool 350 References
Bibliography Reet Mägi; and Wolfgang Drechsler.
Kaiserliche Universität Dorpat 200, 370 Academia Gustaviana: Tartu Ülikooli
juubel. Tartu: Tartu Ülikooli Kirjastus. ISBN 9985-56-950-4.
Siilivask, Karl. History of Tartu University, 1632-1982. Tallinn:
Perioodika. Die Universitäten Dorpat/Tartu, Riga und
Wilna/Vilnius 1579–1979. Beiträge zu ihrer Geschichte und ihrer Wirkung im
Grenzbereich zwischen West und Ost. Herausgegeben von Gert von Pistohlkors,
Toivo U. Raun, Paul Kaegbein. Köln; Wien 1987. [Zweites Internationales Marburger
Symposium zu Problemen der baltischen Sozial- und Kulturgeschichte]. [Lectures
in German and English] ISBN 3-412-00886-9
Palamets, Hillar; and Tullio Ilomets. Alma mater Tartuensis: Tartu Riiklik
Ulikool: 1632–1982. Tallinn: Eesti Raamat.
von Engelhardt, Roderich. Die deutsche Universität Dorpat in ihrer
geistesgeschichtlichen Bedeutung. Reval: F. Kluge.
Semel, Hugo. Die Universität Dorpat: Skizzen zu ihrer Geschichte von Lehrern
und ehmaligen Schülern. Dorpat: H. Laakmann.
Further reading David H. Stam, ed.. "Tartu University
Library". International Dictionary of Library Histories. Fitzroy Dearborn.
ISBN 1579582443. External links
University of Tartu