Akademisches Gymnasium Innsbruck
Encyclopedia
The Akademisches Gymnasium Innsbruck is a grammar school
, or Gymnasium
in Innsbruck
, Tyrol
, founded in 1562 by the Jesuits in the course of the counter-reformation
. Thus, it is the oldest school in Western Austria and one of the oldest schools in the German-speaking world.
intended to establish a latin school
in Innsbruck
, which would grant access to education for everyone. However, it took almost fifty years until his successor Emperor Ferdinand I.
entrusted the Jesuits under Petrus Canisius
with the creation of a church, college and latin school in 1562. It finally opened on 25 June of the same year with 71 pupils (including aristocrats and former pupils of the city's parish school), making it the second oldest Jesuit school in Austria
.
Until 1575, classes took place in the "Neues Stift" (New Monastery) and afterwards in the building of the Jesuit College. Today, the former hosts the folk art museum (Volkskunstmuseum). In 1606, a new school building was erected that facilitated adequate rooms for the rising number of students. It was, however, only in 1660 that the school and the Jesuit convent were completed and the Jesuit Church was finally dedicated. Today, this set of buildings, planned by Georg Anton Gumpp, and expanded subsequently, hosts the theological faculty of the University of Innsbruck.
During the pest
years of 1611 and 1634, the school had to be closed for several months. However, on orders of the Archduke
it was not transformed into a hospital and could resume its work shortly after.
In the year of its 100th birthday, already 604 pupils frequented the school, including 17 squire
s as well as 38 counts and barons.
On 15 October 1669, the University of Innsbruck was founded with four faculties, financed via the salt-mine in nearby Hall in Tirol
. The latin school's pupils could thus attend the local university after having graduated from the preparatory philosophical classes.
During the early 18th century, the curriculum at public schools in the Habsburg empire was unified and the state’s influence on education increased, at the church's expense. The first list of books for grammar schools, for instance, was published in 1770.
When the Jesuit order was suspended by Emperor Joseph II.
in 1773, only 300 pupils attended the grammar school
. Since replacing the Jesuit teachers was not easy, it took several years until the last former Jesuit teachers had left the school. They were primarily replaced by members of the Servite Order
.
At the beginning of the 19th century, the Austrian defeat in the Napoleonic wars
brought the Tyrol under Bavaria
n reign. It was therefore in 1806, that the Bavarian curriculum was introduced, only to be replaced again by the Austrian programme of study in 1814. The Austrian grade scale of 1 - 5, for example, was replaced by a scale of 1 - 6 (both systems still being used in the respective countries today). Subsequently, the new Austrian curriculum, enacted in 1805, could only be implemented in 1814. And even though the AGI had used subject teachers for more than ten years (due to the Bavarian and later the new Austrian curricula), this systems was again abandoned in 1818.
After the reinstitution of the Jesuit order by Pope Pius VII
in 1814, the Jesuits directed the school from 1839 until 1848, when the regional seat was ultimately abandoned.
The “Gymnasialreform of 1849" created the first Ministry of education in the Habsburg Empire (“Ministerium für Cultus und Unterricht”) and reorganised primary and secondary education in the empire, giving the state final control over education at the expense of religious institutions that had executed these duties for centuries:
After four years of primary school (Volksschule), pupils attending a “Gymnasium” would first attend middle school (“Unterstufe”) for four years, followed by another four years of High School (“Oberstufe”). The curriculum aimed at a general education in languages, history, mathematics, natural sciences and philosophy, including Latin and ancient Greek.
After these eight years, usually at the age of 18, the final examination passed (“Matura/Reifeprüfung”) was a unified prerequisite to attend university.
At that time, mandatory subjects taught included: Religion, Latin, Greek, mother tongue, Geography, History, Mathematics, Natural History, Physics and Philosophy. Pupils could also choose electives: other languages of the empire, foreign languages, calligraphy, stenography, arts, music and gymnastics.
This organisational structure is, with certain adjustments, still valid today.
After the Anschluss
1938, the German
curriculum was introduced for 5th through 10th grade, whilst the Austrian was maintained for pupils in 11th and 12th grade. Due to the Nazis' policy, several teachers had to leave the school either for political or racist reasons and the director, Manfred Mumelter, was deported to KZ Dachau.
In the last war years, the school was relocated to Steinach am Brenner
and later to Zürs am Arlberg. It was only in October 1945, i.e. five months after the end of the Second World War, that teaching could be resumed in Innsbruck.
It was after the war that, due to the important increase in the number of pupils and the inherent lack of space, plans for expanding the school were established once again. From 1957 on, it was de facto two schools that were occupying the same building, one in the morning and the other in the afternoon. Finally, a new school was built in 1965 and the corps of pupils and teachers split between those remaining at the "old" AGI and the "new" Gymnasium Reithmannstraße.
With the introduction of coeducation in public schools in Austria in 1975, the first girls could attend the school.
In 1980, the small alley leading to the school was renamed after Prof. Franz Mair, former student and teacher at the AGI, as well as member of the resistance during the 3rd Reich. He was killed on 3 May 1945, i.e. five days before the unconditional surrender
of Nazi Germany
, in front of the Landhaus in Innsbruck
.
After two years of renovation and temporary de-localisation near the airport
, the school returned to its historic building in the autumnal semester 2007.
, aiming to teach students the way political decisions are made and to raise awareness of the European Union and its institutions. There are national sessions held every year to select the participants representing the respective country at the international sessions.
, the first youth parliament took place in Innsbruck
in 2006 and is to continue on an annual basis. Questions of special interest for the inhabitants of the Alpine region are discussed by youngsters from the Alpine convention's Member states in this forum. The results are forwarded to the Permanent Secretariat and presented to Alpine Conference and the Permanent Committee.
at 16.
Sources:
Grammar school
A grammar school is one of several different types of school in the history of education in the United Kingdom and some other English-speaking countries, originally a school teaching classical languages but more recently an academically-oriented secondary school.The original purpose of mediaeval...
, or Gymnasium
Gymnasium (school)
A gymnasium is a type of school providing secondary education in some parts of Europe, comparable to English grammar schools or sixth form colleges and U.S. college preparatory high schools. The word γυμνάσιον was used in Ancient Greece, meaning a locality for both physical and intellectual...
in Innsbruck
Innsbruck
- Main sights :- Buildings :*Golden Roof*Kaiserliche Hofburg *Hofkirche with the cenotaph of Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor*Altes Landhaus...
, Tyrol
Tyrol (state)
Tyrol is a state or Bundesland, located in the west of Austria. It comprises the Austrian part of the historical region of Tyrol.The state is split into two parts–called North Tyrol and East Tyrol–by a -wide strip of land where the state of Salzburg borders directly on the Italian province of...
, founded in 1562 by the Jesuits in the course of the counter-reformation
Counter-Reformation
The Counter-Reformation was the period of Catholic revival beginning with the Council of Trent and ending at the close of the Thirty Years' War, 1648 as a response to the Protestant Reformation.The Counter-Reformation was a comprehensive effort, composed of four major elements:#Ecclesiastical or...
. Thus, it is the oldest school in Western Austria and one of the oldest schools in the German-speaking world.
16th – 17th Century
At the beginning of the 16th century, Emperor Maximilian I.Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor
Maximilian I , the son of Frederick III, Holy Roman Emperor and Eleanor of Portugal, was King of the Romans from 1486 and Holy Roman Emperor from 1493 until his death, though he was never in fact crowned by the Pope, the journey to Rome always being too risky...
intended to establish a latin school
Latin School
Latin School may refer to:* Latin schools of Medieval Europe* These schools in the United States:** Boston Latin School, Boston, MA** Brooklyn Latin School, New York, NY** Brother Joseph C. Fox Latin School, Long Island, NY...
in Innsbruck
Innsbruck
- Main sights :- Buildings :*Golden Roof*Kaiserliche Hofburg *Hofkirche with the cenotaph of Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor*Altes Landhaus...
, which would grant access to education for everyone. However, it took almost fifty years until his successor Emperor Ferdinand I.
Ferdinand I, Holy Roman Emperor
Ferdinand I was Holy Roman Emperor from 1558 and king of Bohemia and Hungary from 1526 until his death. Before his accession, he ruled the Austrian hereditary lands of the Habsburgs in the name of his elder brother, Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor.The key events during his reign were the contest...
entrusted the Jesuits under Petrus Canisius
Petrus Canisius
Saint Petrus Canisius was an important Jesuit who fought against the spread of Protestantism in Germany, Austria, Bohemia, Moravia, , and Switzerland...
with the creation of a church, college and latin school in 1562. It finally opened on 25 June of the same year with 71 pupils (including aristocrats and former pupils of the city's parish school), making it the second oldest Jesuit school in Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
.
Until 1575, classes took place in the "Neues Stift" (New Monastery) and afterwards in the building of the Jesuit College. Today, the former hosts the folk art museum (Volkskunstmuseum). In 1606, a new school building was erected that facilitated adequate rooms for the rising number of students. It was, however, only in 1660 that the school and the Jesuit convent were completed and the Jesuit Church was finally dedicated. Today, this set of buildings, planned by Georg Anton Gumpp, and expanded subsequently, hosts the theological faculty of the University of Innsbruck.
During the pest
Pestilence
Pestilence may refer to:*Pestilence, one of the four Horsemen of the Apocalypse symbolizing plague in some interpretations of the book of Revelation*Pestilence , a Dutch death metal group...
years of 1611 and 1634, the school had to be closed for several months. However, on orders of the Archduke
Archduke
The title of Archduke denotes a noble rank above Duke and below King, used only by princes of the Houses of Habsburg and Habsburg-Lorraine....
it was not transformed into a hospital and could resume its work shortly after.
In the year of its 100th birthday, already 604 pupils frequented the school, including 17 squire
Squire
The English word squire is a shortened version of the word Esquire, from the Old French , itself derived from the Late Latin , in medieval or Old English a scutifer. The Classical Latin equivalent was , "arms bearer"...
s as well as 38 counts and barons.
On 15 October 1669, the University of Innsbruck was founded with four faculties, financed via the salt-mine in nearby Hall in Tirol
Hall in Tirol
Hall in Tirol is a town in the Innsbruck-Land district of Tyrol, Austria. Located at an altitude of 574 m, about 5 km east of the state's capital Innsbruck in the Inn valley, it has a population of about 12,700 .-History:...
. The latin school's pupils could thus attend the local university after having graduated from the preparatory philosophical classes.
18th – 19th Century
Due to damages caused by earthquakes, the main building had to be completely rebuilt and was inaugurated in 1724. The new building accommodated not only classrooms, but also a theatre hall, a hall for big school reunions and a chapel. The school would remain in this building until 1868.During the early 18th century, the curriculum at public schools in the Habsburg empire was unified and the state’s influence on education increased, at the church's expense. The first list of books for grammar schools, for instance, was published in 1770.
When the Jesuit order was suspended by Emperor Joseph II.
Joseph II, Holy Roman Emperor
Joseph II was Holy Roman Emperor from 1765 to 1790 and ruler of the Habsburg lands from 1780 to 1790. He was the eldest son of Empress Maria Theresa and her husband, Francis I...
in 1773, only 300 pupils attended the grammar school
Grammar school
A grammar school is one of several different types of school in the history of education in the United Kingdom and some other English-speaking countries, originally a school teaching classical languages but more recently an academically-oriented secondary school.The original purpose of mediaeval...
. Since replacing the Jesuit teachers was not easy, it took several years until the last former Jesuit teachers had left the school. They were primarily replaced by members of the Servite Order
Servite Order
The Servite Order is one of the five original Catholic mendicant orders. Its objects are the sanctification of its members, preaching the Gospel, and the propagation of devotion to the Mother of God, with special reference to her sorrows. The members of the Order use O.S.M. as their post-nominal...
.
At the beginning of the 19th century, the Austrian defeat in the Napoleonic wars
Napoleonic Wars
The Napoleonic Wars were a series of wars declared against Napoleon's French Empire by opposing coalitions that ran from 1803 to 1815. As a continuation of the wars sparked by the French Revolution of 1789, they revolutionised European armies and played out on an unprecedented scale, mainly due to...
brought the Tyrol under Bavaria
Bavaria
Bavaria, formally the Free State of Bavaria is a state of Germany, located in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the largest state by area, forming almost 20% of the total land area of Germany...
n reign. It was therefore in 1806, that the Bavarian curriculum was introduced, only to be replaced again by the Austrian programme of study in 1814. The Austrian grade scale of 1 - 5, for example, was replaced by a scale of 1 - 6 (both systems still being used in the respective countries today). Subsequently, the new Austrian curriculum, enacted in 1805, could only be implemented in 1814. And even though the AGI had used subject teachers for more than ten years (due to the Bavarian and later the new Austrian curricula), this systems was again abandoned in 1818.
After the reinstitution of the Jesuit order by Pope Pius VII
Pope Pius VII
Pope Pius VII , born Barnaba Niccolò Maria Luigi Chiaramonti, was a monk, theologian and bishop, who reigned as Pope from 14 March 1800 to 20 August 1823.-Early life:...
in 1814, the Jesuits directed the school from 1839 until 1848, when the regional seat was ultimately abandoned.
The “Gymnasialreform of 1849" created the first Ministry of education in the Habsburg Empire (“Ministerium für Cultus und Unterricht”) and reorganised primary and secondary education in the empire, giving the state final control over education at the expense of religious institutions that had executed these duties for centuries:
After four years of primary school (Volksschule), pupils attending a “Gymnasium” would first attend middle school (“Unterstufe”) for four years, followed by another four years of High School (“Oberstufe”). The curriculum aimed at a general education in languages, history, mathematics, natural sciences and philosophy, including Latin and ancient Greek.
After these eight years, usually at the age of 18, the final examination passed (“Matura/Reifeprüfung”) was a unified prerequisite to attend university.
At that time, mandatory subjects taught included: Religion, Latin, Greek, mother tongue, Geography, History, Mathematics, Natural History, Physics and Philosophy. Pupils could also choose electives: other languages of the empire, foreign languages, calligraphy, stenography, arts, music and gymnastics.
This organisational structure is, with certain adjustments, still valid today.
20th – 21st Century
The current school building was erected in 1909–1910, in close proximity to the Jesuit Church, regional museum (Landesmuseum Ferdinandeum) and the historic building, which now hosts the Theological faculty of the university.After the Anschluss
Anschluss
The Anschluss , also known as the ', was the occupation and annexation of Austria into Nazi Germany in 1938....
1938, the German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
curriculum was introduced for 5th through 10th grade, whilst the Austrian was maintained for pupils in 11th and 12th grade. Due to the Nazis' policy, several teachers had to leave the school either for political or racist reasons and the director, Manfred Mumelter, was deported to KZ Dachau.
In the last war years, the school was relocated to Steinach am Brenner
Steinach am Brenner
Steinach am Brenner is a market town in the district of Innsbruck-Land and is located south of Innsbruck in the Wipptal at the Sill River. It has 3340 inhabitants.-Geography:...
and later to Zürs am Arlberg. It was only in October 1945, i.e. five months after the end of the Second World War, that teaching could be resumed in Innsbruck.
It was after the war that, due to the important increase in the number of pupils and the inherent lack of space, plans for expanding the school were established once again. From 1957 on, it was de facto two schools that were occupying the same building, one in the morning and the other in the afternoon. Finally, a new school was built in 1965 and the corps of pupils and teachers split between those remaining at the "old" AGI and the "new" Gymnasium Reithmannstraße.
With the introduction of coeducation in public schools in Austria in 1975, the first girls could attend the school.
In 1980, the small alley leading to the school was renamed after Prof. Franz Mair, former student and teacher at the AGI, as well as member of the resistance during the 3rd Reich. He was killed on 3 May 1945, i.e. five days before the unconditional surrender
Unconditional surrender
Unconditional surrender is a surrender without conditions, in which no guarantees are given to the surrendering party. In modern times unconditional surrenders most often include guarantees provided by international law. Announcing that only unconditional surrender is acceptable puts psychological...
of Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
, in front of the Landhaus in Innsbruck
Innsbruck
- Main sights :- Buildings :*Golden Roof*Kaiserliche Hofburg *Hofkirche with the cenotaph of Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor*Altes Landhaus...
.
After two years of renovation and temporary de-localisation near the airport
Innsbruck Airport
-External links:*...
, the school returned to its historic building in the autumnal semester 2007.
Model European Parliament
The MEP is a simulation of the European parliamentEuropean Parliament
The European Parliament is the directly elected parliamentary institution of the European Union . Together with the Council of the European Union and the Commission, it exercises the legislative function of the EU and it has been described as one of the most powerful legislatures in the world...
, aiming to teach students the way political decisions are made and to raise awareness of the European Union and its institutions. There are national sessions held every year to select the participants representing the respective country at the international sessions.
Pupils' Parliament (SchülerInnen Parlament)
The Pupils' parliament is the assembly of all students of the last 4 years (Oberstufe) and makes decisions, prepared by committees, which are forwarded to the "Schulgemeinschaftsausschuss" (body of representatives of teachers, parents and pupils, making decisions in areas in which the school has an autonomous decision right). The intention is to promote democracy and integrate the pupils in the decision making process.Youth Parliament of the Alpine Convention
Together with the Permanent Secretariat of the Alpine ConventionAlpine Convention
The Alpine Convention is an international territorial treaty for the sustainable development of the Alps. The objective of the treaty is to protect the natural environment of the Alps while promoting its development. This Framework Convention involves the European Union and eight States...
, the first youth parliament took place in Innsbruck
Innsbruck
- Main sights :- Buildings :*Golden Roof*Kaiserliche Hofburg *Hofkirche with the cenotaph of Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor*Altes Landhaus...
in 2006 and is to continue on an annual basis. Questions of special interest for the inhabitants of the Alpine region are discussed by youngsters from the Alpine convention's Member states in this forum. The results are forwarded to the Permanent Secretariat and presented to Alpine Conference and the Permanent Committee.
Platform for Political Education (Platform für Politische Bildung
This pupils’ initiative aims at raising awareness for politics and discussions amongst teenagers. The group organises discussions with politicians and scholars, particularly in the light of the new Austrian legislation that set the voting ageVoting age
A voting age is a minimum age established by law that a person must attain to be eligible to vote in a public election.The vast majority of countries in the world have established a voting age. Most governments consider that those of any age lower than the chosen threshold lack the necessary...
at 16.
Social Initiative “Zeit schenken”
In this voluntary project, pupils visit and work in social institutions like homes for elderly people, children with migration background or handicapped people.Sports
Especially the Volleyball-teams of the AGI are successful at regional and national level.Sparkling Science
Together with the University of Innsbruck, pupils have the possibility to participate in actual research projects conducted at university level. E.g. “Computer Simulations and Simulation Experiments – Essentials, Solutions and the Origin of Life”Alumni
| Name | Profession | Graduation |
|---|---|---|
| Adolf Pichler | writer, natural scientist | 1837 |
| Franz Senn Franz Senn Franz Senn was a pastor, whose concern for the poverty of his parishioners lead him to encourage tourism into the Stubai, and in particular he fostered the early development of mountaineering in the region. He was a founding member of the Austrian and German alpine associations... |
founder of the German Alpine Club German Alpine Club The German Alpine Club or DAV is the largest climbing association in the world and the eighth largest sports union in Germany. It is organised into 354 legally independent branches with a total of around 815,000 members... (Deutscher Alpenverein) |
1849 |
| Alphons Huber Alphons Huber Alphons Huber was a Catholic historian.-Life:After finishing the humanities at the colleges of Hall and Innsbruck, he studied history under Julius von Ficker at the University of Vienna. While still young he had become interested in history from Joseph Annegarn's "Weltgeschichte"... |
historian | 1852 |
| Franz Mair | teacher and member of the resistance | 1930 |
| Reinhold Stecher Reinhold Stecher Reinhold Stecher is an Austrian Prelate of Roman Catholic Church.Reinhold Stecher was born in Innsbruck, Austria, ordained a priest on December 19, 1947. Stecher was appointed bishop to the Diocese of Innsbruck on December 15, 1980 and ordained bishop January 25, 1981... |
former bishop of Innsbruck | 1939 |
| Josef Rampold | former editor in chief of the South-Tyrolean newspaper Dolomiten | 1943 |
| Andreas Khol Andreas Khol Andreas Khol is an Austrian politician of the center-conservative Austrian People's Party, President of the Nation Council from 2002 to 2006.... |
former head of the Austrian national council (Nationalratspräsident) | 1959 |
| Bruno Buchberger Bruno Buchberger Bruno Buchberger is Professor of Computer Mathematics at Johannes Kepler University in Linz, Austria. In his 1965 Ph.D. thesis, he created the theory of Gröbner bases, and has developed this theory throughout his career. He named these objects after his advisor Wolfgang Gröbner... |
Mathematician Mathematician A mathematician is a person whose primary area of study is the field of mathematics. Mathematicians are concerned with quantity, structure, space, and change.... |
1960 |
| Alexander Van der Bellen Alexander Van der Bellen Alexander Van der Bellen is an Austrian economist and politician, chairman of the parliamentary club and federal spokesperson of the Austrian Green Party from 1997 to 2008.... |
former federal Spokesperson of the Austrian Green Party Austrian Green Party The Greens – The Green Alternative is a political party in the Austrian parliament.The party was formed in 1986 with the name Grüne Alternative, following the merger of the more conservative Green party Vereinte Grüne Österreichs and the more progressive party Alternative Liste Österreichs The... |
1962 |
| Herbert Lochs Herbert Lochs Prof. Herbert Lochs, MD, is a prominent German and Austrian medical doctor and scientist. After graduating from the University of Innsbruck Medical School, Austria he completed his residency at the Institute of Pharmacology at the University of Innsbruck... |
president of the Medical University Innsbruck | 1964 |
| Jürgen Bodenseer | president of the Tyrolean Economic Chamber | 1965 |
| Anna Gamper | first female professor of law at University of Innsbruck | 1993 |
left before graduating
- Mirjam WeichselbraunMirjam WeichselbraunMirjam Weichselbraun is an Austrian television host.Her first experience in broadcasting was with the regional radio station Antenne Tirol in 1999 and she first appeared in front of the camera in 2001 on the culture program Das Magazin on the channel TV Tirol.In 2000, she was voted the BRAVO-Girl...
Sources:
- Bundesgymnasium und 1. Bundesrealgymnasium in Innsbruck, Festschrift zum 400-jährigen Jubiläum des Gymnasiums Innsbruck, 1962
- Litterae annuae and annual reports