- Masaryk University
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This article is about Masaryk University in Brno established in 1919. For the 1778-1782 University in Brno, see Palacký University of Olomouc.
Masaryk University Masarykova univerzita 
Latin: Universitas Masarykiana Brunensis Established 1919 Type Public Rector Assoc. Prof. Mikuláš Bek Students 42,182 Location Brno, Moravia, Czech Republic (EU) Affiliations EUA
Compostela Group
Utrecht NetworkWebsite http://www.muni.cz/ Masaryk University (Czech: Masarykova univerzita; Latin: Universitas Masarykiana Brunensis) is the second largest university in the Czech Republic, a member of the Compostela Group and the Utrecht Network. Founded in 1919 in Brno as the third Czech university (after Charles University 1348, Palacký University 1573), it now consists of nine faculties and 42,182 students.[1] It is named after Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk, the first president of an independent Czechoslovakia as well as the leader of the movement for a third Czech university.[2]
In 1960 the university was renamed Jan Evangelista Purkyně University after Jan Evangelista Purkyně, a Czech biologist. In 1990, following the Velvet Revolution it regained its original name.[3]
Contents
History
Masaryk University was founded on 28 January 1919 with four faculties: Law, Medicine, Science, and Arts. The founding of the third Czech university was possible only after the fall of the Austro-Hungarian monarchy because of the resistance of the German-controlled city council, which feared giving power to the Czech residents of Brno.[2] Brno was at that time a bilingual city. One notable demonstration in favour of establishing a university in Brno happened in 1905.[3]
From the beginning, the university suffered from a lack of money for development. The fragile state of public finances in 1923-1925 and 1933-1934 led to proposals of abolishing both the Faculty of Arts and the Faculty of Science. Both faculties eventually survived until 17 November 1939 when the whole university was closed following the German occupation of Czechoslovakia. A number of professors of Masaryk University were executed or tortured; for example, the Faculty of Science lost one quarter of its teaching staff.[2] Many of the executions took place in the Mauthausen Contentration Camp in 1942.[3]
The renewal of university life after the end of World War II was interrupted by the Communist takeover. The percentage of students expelled in various faculties ranged from 5 percent at the Faculty of Education to 46 percent at the Faculty of Law, which was completely closed in 1950. In 1953, the Faculty of Education (founded in 1946) was separated from the university. In August 1960, a government decree abolished the Pharmaceutical Faculty and the University was renamed Jan Evangelista Purkyně University in Brno.[2]
Relaxation occurred in 1964 with the reintegration of the Faculty of Education into the university and with the reestablishment of the Faculty of Law in 1969. But conditions changed again rapidly with the Normalization of the 1970s after the 1968 invasion of Warsaw Pact troops into Czechoslovakia.[2]
The University was renamed Masaryk University in Brno in 1990, then regaining its original name by dropping the "in Brno" from the title in 2006. A new era of development began after the Velvet Revolution of 1989 and the establishment of the Faculty of Economics and Administration in 1991, the Faculty of Informatics in 1994, the Faculty of Social Studies in 1998, and the Faculty of Sports Studies in 2002.[3] A new University campus has been under construction in Brno Bohunice since 2002. The last stage of development should be completed in 2015.[4]
Faculties
- Faculty of Medicine (1919)
- Faculty of Law (1919)
- Faculty of Science (1919)
- Faculty of Arts (1919)
- Faculty of Education (1946)
- Pharmaceutical Faculty (1952–1960)
- Faculty of Economics and Administration (1991)
- Faculty of Informatics (1994)
- Faculty of Social Studies (1998)
- Faculty of Sports Studies (2002)
Notable alumni
- Josef Augusta (1903–1968) - paleontologist
- Otakar Borůvka (1899–1995) - mathematician
- Leo Eitinger (1912–1996) - psychiatrist
- Ivan Blatný (1919-1990) - poet, member of Skupina 42
- Jiří Grygar (b. 1936) - astronomer
- Renata Laxova (b. 1930) - paediatric geneticist
- Tomáš Julínek (b. 1956) - politician
- Luboš Kohoutek (b. 1935) - astronomer
- Jan Skácel (1922–1989) - poet
- Antonín Tučapský (b. 1928) - composer
- Milan Uhde (b. 1936) - playwright and politician
- František Vláčil (1924–1999) - film director
- Josef Augusta (b. 1946) - ice hockey player and coach
- Jiří Holík (b. 1944) - ice hockey player
- Jaroslav Malina (b. 1945) - anthropologist
- Martin Palouš (1950- ) - Permanent Representative to the United Nations (2006- ) and Ambassador to the United States for the Czech Republic (2001–2005)
- Petr Nečas (b. 1964) - politician
- Šárka Kašpárková (b. 1971) - athlete, specialised in the triple jump
- Ondřej Liška (b. 1977) - politician
Notable professors
- Eduard Čech (1893–1960) - mathematician
- Roman Jakobson (1896–1982) - linguist and literary theorist
- Jaroslav Krejčí (1892–1956) - lawyer and politician
- Matyáš Lerch (1860–1922) - mathematician
- Arne Novák (1880–1939) - literary historian
- Erazim Kohák (b.1933) - philosopher and writer
Footnotes
- ^ "Detailed Statistical Data". Masaryk University. http://www.muni.cz/general/statistics?lang=en. Retrieved 2009-12-12.
- ^ a b c d e "MU Brief History". Masaryk University. http://www.muni.cz/history/summary?lang=en. Retrieved 2008-12-13.
- ^ a b c d "MU Important Dates in the History". Masaryk University. http://www.muni.cz/history/milestones?lang=en. Retrieved 2008-12-13.
- ^ "Podprogram 233 332 – Výstavba univerzitního kampusu MU v Brně-Bohunicích (UKB)" (in Czech). Masaryk University. http://www.muni.cz/general/events/p233332?lang=en. Retrieved 2007-01-31.
See also
- List of modern universities in Europe (1801–1945)
External links
- Masaryk University website
- Masaryk University News Portal
- Masaryk University, Medical faculty website
- Masaryk University, Faculty of Informatics website
- Central European Institute of Technology, CEITEC
Public universities in the Czech Republic 
Brno Janáček Academy of Music and Performing Arts • Masaryk University • Mendel University Brno • University of Veterinary and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Brno • Brno University of TechnologyČeské Budějovice University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice • Institute of Technology and BusinessHradec Králové Jihlava Vysoká škola polytechnická JihlavaLiberec Olomouc Opava Silesian University (Opava)Ostrava Pardubice Plzeň Prague Academy of Performing Arts in Prague • Academy of Fine Arts, Prague • Czech Technical University in Prague • Czech University of Life Sciences Prague • Charles University in Prague • University of Economics, Prague • Institute of Chemical Technology in Prague • Academy of Arts, Architecture and Design in PragueÚstí nad Labem Jan Evangelista Purkyně University in Ústí nad LabemZlín Categories:- Universities in the Czech Republic
- Brno
- Educational institutions established in 1919
- Public universities
- Law schools in the Czech Republic
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