History of Lviv University

The history of Lviv University dates back to the 17th century.

In the 16th-17th centuries, church brotherhoods were centers of cultural life in Ukrainian lands. With the support of townspeople and clergy, they promoted humanistic ideas and the development of science and education. The oldest in Ukraine was the Dormition Stauropegion Brotherhood in Lviv, which became a prominent Ukrainian cultural center. From 1586, a brotherhood school operated in Lviv as a secondary educational institution. Students studied Church Slavonic, Greek, Latin and Polish languages, mathematics, grammar, rhetoric, astronomy, philosophy and other disciplines. Members of the Lviv Brotherhood even planned to transform their "gymnasium" (as they called this school) into a higher educational institution. Prominent figures of Ukrainian culture from the late 16th to first half of the 17th century worked and studied at the Lviv Brotherhood School, including Lavrentiy Zyzaniy (Kukil) and his brother Stepan, Kyrylo Stavrovetsky, Ivan Boretsky and others.

By the mid-17th century, there was no higher educational institution in Ukraine. Noble Poland resisted establishing a higher school here that could become a dangerous political and cultural center. Ukrainian youth were forced to pursue higher education at Krakow University and other European universities.

According to the articles of the Hadiach Agreement (1658) between Ukraine and the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, the Polish government promised to open two higher schools-academies in Ukraine in the future: one in Kyiv and another wherever a suitable location could be found. These academies were promised the same university rights as Krakow University. Influential circles of the Commonwealth did not rule out that under pressure of certain political circumstances, national universities could be established in Ukraine. At that time, the Jesuit order placed special hopes on its center in Lviv for defending Catholicism in Ukraine. The Jesuits appeared in Lviv in the late 16th century and opened their secondary school-college in 1608. By the mid-17th century, this college had declined but was saved from collapse by the Jesuits, as it enjoyed the patronage and support of Polish magnates. The Jesuits understood the possibility of creating a university based on the brotherhood school in Lviv, so they constantly sought to transform their college into an academy. After repeated petitions, King Jan II Kazimierz signed a diploma on January 20, 1661, granting the Jesuit college in Lviv "the dignity of an academy and title of university" with the right to teach all contemporary university disciplines and award academic degrees of bachelor, licentiate, master and doctor. However, immediately after signing the diploma, the academy's creation met decisive opposition from Krakow University and certain influential state figures who supported it. Despite obstacles, teaching at Lviv University was conducted following the model of other European academies. Subsequently, Polish King Augustus III confirmed in 1758 the diploma issued by Jan II Kazimierz on January 20, 1661. From its founding until 1773, Lviv University was completely under the control of the Jesuit order and subordinate to the Jesuit General in Rome. The university was headed by a rector. The university building was near Krakowska Street in central Lviv. The institution built and purchased new buildings, had its own library, and the largest printing house in Lviv.

The university consisted of two departments (faculties) - philosophical and theological. The college played the role of a secondary educational institution at Lviv University, serving as a preparatory stage for those wishing to continue their studies.

Historical sources confirm that in 1667, about 500 students studied at the philosophical and theological departments, with eight instructors providing education. By the mid-18th century, the number of students increased to 700, and instructors to 15-17. Poles constituted 75% of students, with the remainder being Ukrainians and representatives of other ethnic groups.

The educational process at Lviv University followed the program of Jesuit schools developed in the late 16th century; noticeable changes to this program began to be introduced only in the mid-18th century. The philosophy department primarily studied Aristotle's philosophical system, which comprised logic, physics and metaphysics; physics included elements of mathematics, astronomy, biology, and meteorology, while metaphysics covered psychology and ethics. They also studied history, geography, Greek language and more. Philosophy department studies lasted two to three years. After completing this department, one could pursue theological education. Theological department studies lasted four years, covering church history, the Old and New Testaments, dogmatic and moral theology, canon law, casuistry, and Hebrew. All university disciplines were taught by professors.

In the mid and second half of the 18th century, changes occurred in the university's educational process due to the development of scientific knowledge, particularly natural sciences. In 1744, a mathematics department was opened, headed by F. Grodzicki - author of textbooks on architecture and mathematics; a mathematical-physical cabinet was created and a university astronomical observatory was opened. They began teaching Polish, French and German languages, geography and history as separate subjects. Notable scholars worked here: historian K. Nesiecki, mathematicians F. Grodzicki and T. Sekerzhynsky, writer H. Piramovich, public figure, poet, writer and philosopher I. Krasicki. University graduates included such famous people as I. Hizel, M. Slotvynsky, Ya. Bohomolovsky and many others.

After the dissolution of the Jesuit order in 1773, Lviv University was also closed. However, soon several divisions of the Jesuit academy became the foundations of the Josephine University in Lviv.

In 1772, Galicia became part of the Austrian Empire. For the purpose of centralization and Germanization of the multinational state, the government of Emperor Joseph II paid great attention to education, including higher education. A university was planned for Lviv. Teaching positions at departments were to be filled through competition, allowing candidates regardless of religious affiliation and nationality.

The university received the building of the former Trinitarian order on Krakowska Street. A government decision of June 17, 1784, determined the teaching staff and university budget. In October of that year, a diploma and instructions for university administration were issued. The diploma stated that Lviv University was being created with four faculties: philosophical, legal, medical and theological. The solemn opening of the university took place on November 16, 1784.

Between 1805 and 1817, a lyceum operated in Lviv based on the university. This was related to higher education reform in the Austrian state. Analysis shows that most disciplines continued to be taught at university level, with the same faculties functioning.

The supreme governing body of the university was the senate (consistory), consisting of the rector, deans and seniors (the oldest professors by age and experience). The senate decided the most important issues concerning general university management. All other matters were decided by deans, who simultaneously served as faculty directors. It should be noted that the university had a certain autonomy.

A gymnasium created in 1784 prepared students for university admission, with five years of instruction in German and Latin. All university students spent their first three years studying under the philosophical faculty program, which provided general education and preparation. After completing the philosophical faculty, students either continued studying there to deepen their knowledge in specific sciences or transferred to one of the higher faculties - legal, medical or theological - where studies lasted four years. The educational process was conducted in Latin, Polish and German. In 1825, a department of Polish language and literature was opened.

In 1787, the theological faculty operated a studium Ruthenum - Ukrainian ("Ruthenian") courses with two years of instruction in Ukrainian. They functioned until 1806. Lviv University of the early 19th century was associated with the names of outstanding figures of the Ukrainian national revival: Markiyan Shashkevych, Yakiv Holovatsky, and Yuriy Venelin (Hutsa).

Physical science in the second half of the 18th - first half of the 19th century at Lviv University was represented by professors Franz Hüsmann, Ignaz Josef Martinovics, Anton Hiltenbrand, Ivan Zemanchyk, Anton Gloisner, August Kunzek and Oleksandr Zavadsky, though only some had scientific achievements in physics. Professor I.Yu. Martinovics (1755-1795) wrote a two-volume textbook on experimental physics. The renowned scientist of the 1780s, F. Hüsmann (1741-1806), published a two-volume description of the age of the Earth from a physics perspective in Vienna. Ivan Zemanchyk from Transcarpathia did much to increase the equipment of the physics cabinet. Professor A. Kunzek (1795-1865), who was interested in astronomy besides physics and taught mathematics and classical philology, wrote seven scholarly works and textbooks (such as "The Doctrine of Light," "Popular Astronomy," "Popular Exposition of Meteorology," etc.).

The first professor of chemistry and botany at Lviv University was Burkhardt Zachert Schiverek (1742-1807). B. Schiverek's main achievements were researching the mineral waters of the Pre-Carpathian region and founding a botanical garden.

One of the first professional mathematicians at the university was Franz Krodesch (1761-1831), who wrote a mathematics textbook. The manual "Elements of Pure Mechanics" brought fame to the outstanding Austrian mathematician Leopold Schulz von Strasznicki (1803-1852), who taught at the university from 1834-1838. "Natural history," or natural science, was taught at the university by Professor Baltazar Hacquet (1740-1815). He became a pioneer in the field of geological science in Galicia.

In the field of philosophy during this period, Petro Lodiy (1764-1829) deserves the greatest attention. He authored textbooks "Metaphysics" and "Logical Instructions." The Czech Ignác Jan Hanuš (1812-1869) also wrote numerous works on philosophy. Ludwik Edward Czenmark (1753-1814) became the first professor of history at the university. He was also a specialist in auxiliary historical disciplines and published a manual on this subject. Gottfried Ulich (1743-1794) became the first professor of auxiliary historical disciplines, who founded a reading room in Lviv, wrote a textbook on diplomacy and numismatics, and authored numerous works on history. Professor of general history and Austrian history Josef Mauss (1778-1856) was very popular among students.

Classical philology at the university reopened in 1784 was taught by Viktor Václav Hahn (1763-1816), who besides linguistics issues was interested in aesthetics, published a two-volume collection of his own poems, and wrote several works on literary history. Among linguists, professors Ignaz Pollack (1785-1825) and Professor Leopold Umlauff (1757 - date of death unknown) also deserve attention.

In the 1820s-1830s, research in regional studies and humanities became more active. University alumnus I. Mohylnytsky prepared the first grammar of the Ukrainian language in Galicia, published in 1829. Its preface "Information about the Ruthenian Language" contained a brief overview of Ukrainian history and defined Ukrainian as an independent language among East Slavic languages. Lviv University Professor I. Lavrivsky compiled a six-volume Ukrainian-Polish-German dictionary and translated the "Tale of Bygone Years" into Polish. Professor M. Hrynevetsky made a significant contribution to studying the history of his native region, collecting first editions and other historical monuments.

Legal science at that time at Lviv University was based on the so-called historical school of law. An outstanding specialist in civil law was Professor Josef Winiwarter, who worked in Lviv from 1806 to 1827 and published several scholarly works.

The events of the Polish national liberation uprising of 1830-1831 and especially the revolution of 1848, in which student youth took active part, had a significant impact on Lviv University's development. During the November uprising of 1848, the university building burned down, destroying its valuable scientific library, which already numbered over 51,000 volumes. Valuable manuscripts were burned. University equipment was completely damaged, preventing classes from starting for a long time.

Throughout the second half of the 19th century, university premises expanded. From 1851, the university was housed in a building on Mykolai Street (now Hrushevsky Street). In 1891, architect Yu. Braunsohn designed a separate building on Dlugosz Street (now St. Cyril and Methodius Street) for the chemical, geological-mineralogical and pharmacological institutes. In 1894, construction of a building for the newly formed medical faculty (Pekarska Street) was completed, and in 1897 - a building for the physics institute. In 1905, a building for the university library was constructed.

The supreme governing body of the university at that time was the academic senate, consisting of the rector, vice-rector, deans, faculty representatives, and secretary. The senate's competence included such matters of university life as the educational process, scientific work, awarding academic degrees, and administrative affairs.

Until nearly the end of the 19th century, three faculties operated at the university: legal, philosophical and theological. The legal faculty was leading in the university, both in number of students and instructors, and in state priorities. In November 1891, after prolonged delays, Austrian Emperor Franz Joseph I issued an order to open a medical faculty, which was solemnly inaugurated on September 9, 1894.

Each of the four faculties was governed by a collegial body - the council of faculty professors, or college, which included the dean, vice-dean, all professors and two elected representatives from docents.

There were no departments in the modern sense of the word; the concept of a department was associated with the person of the professor who taught a certain course of lectures. However, the university had scientific institutions, otherwise called institutes, which approximately corresponded to the modern concept of a department or cabinet. Practical and seminar classes took place in institutes; they had permanent premises, equipment, libraries and service personnel. In September 1894, a university archive was established and received all documents and books issued before 1848.

The teaching staff of Lviv University consisted of professors, private docents, assistants and lecturers. The right to teach at the university, or docentship (venia docendi), could only be obtained after obtaining a doctorate, passing habilitation and approval by the Ministry of Education in Vienna. The quantitative composition of university instructors constantly increased. If in 1850/51 there were only 27 instructors, by 1913/14 there were 169. The student body of Lviv University was also divided into certain categories: regular students (ordinary), extraordinary students (extraordinary) and free auditors. Typically, free auditors were women who attended lectures by arrangement with instructors. In 1851, 699 students studied at the university (302 at the legal faculty, 89 at philosophical, 308 at theological); in 1890/91 there were already 1,255 (respectively by faculties: 683, 189, 358); in 1900/01 - 2,060 students (legal faculty - 1,284, philosophical faculty - 309, medical faculty - 127, and theological faculty - 340), and in 1913/14 - as many as 5,871 students (respectively: 3,493, 1,229, 971 and 358).

Throughout the second half of the 19th century, the struggle for women's right to attend university studies continued. In 1897, women were allowed to study at the philosophical faculty, and in 1900 - at the medical faculty and pharmacy department. Women repeatedly demanded permission to study at the legal faculty, but the government did not accommodate them.

Education at the university was paid for most students. Theological faculty students did not pay for education at all. At secular faculties, only some students enjoyed such privileges (students who submitted a certificate of poverty and successfully passed semester colloquiums). In addition to tuition, students paid a fee for immatriculation (solemn admission as students), exams, colloquiums, seminar classes, and for the right to use the library.

There were also student scholarships. The scholarship fund consisted mainly of donations from private individuals. The most well-known were scholarship funds named after Karol Ludwik, Yu. Slovatsky, Tsalevych, Haietsky and others. Students had dormitories, though the number of places in them was limited.

At the legal, philosophical and theological faculties, studies lasted four years, at medical - five years, at the pharmaceutical department of the medical faculty - two or three years. The academic year was divided into two semesters: winter (from October 1 to around March 20) and summer (end of April - end of July). Students had the right to choose academic disciplines. Until the 1870s, education at all faculties was conducted mainly in German, at theological - in Latin; several disciplines were taught in Ukrainian and Polish. On April 27, 1869, by special order of the emperor, Polish was recognized as the official language throughout the region - gradually the Polonization of Lviv University occurred. In 1870, 13 subjects were taught in Polish, 46 in German, 13 in Latin and 7 in Ukrainian. On July 4, 1871, Emperor Franz Joseph I issued an order abolishing restrictions on teaching in Polish and Ukrainian at the legal and philosophical faculties. By 1906, 185 subjects were taught in Polish, 5 in German, 14 in Latin and 19 in Ukrainian.

In the 1870s, Ivan Franko studied at the philosophical faculty of Lviv University - a world-renowned Ukrainian thinker, writer, scholar, translator, political and public figure, one of Ukraine's geniuses who entered cultural history as a "titan of labor."

Such future famous scientists, writers and public figures as M. Pavlyk, O. Terletsky, V. Navrotsky, O. Makovei, Yu. Puzyna and others spent their student years at our educational institution in the second half of the 19th - early 20th century.

The scientific life of Lviv University in the second half of the 19th - early 20th century underwent considerable changes. New disciplines were introduced, new cabinets and laboratories were created. University instructors wrote textbooks and teaching aids and conducted valuable scientific research, mainly in natural science.

In the field of physical sciences, one can name professors Viktor Pierre, Wojciech Urbański, Alois Handl, Tomasz Stanecki, Ignacy Zakrzewski, Marian Smoluchowski and others. In particular, Professor V. Pierre organized and enriched the material base of the physics cabinet (which had been destroyed in 1848). W. Urbański published a two-volume textbook "Scientific Physics." In 1879, Professor of Experimental Physics T. Stanecki (1826-1891) authored many textbooks of physics-mathematical profile for gymnasiums. From 1899, the world-famous physicist M. Smoluchowski (1872-1917) worked at the university. His main works of the Lviv period are "Average Motion of Gas Molecules and Its Connection with Diffusion Theory" and "On the Kinetic Theory of Brownian Molecular Motion and Suspension."

Representatives of mathematical science at Lviv University were professors Ignacy Lemoch, Wawrzyniec Żmurko, Józef Puzyna, Wacław Sierpiński, and Zygmunt Janiszewski. Of these professors' works, scientific interest was held by I. Lemoch's textbooks on practical geodesy with basics of mine surveying, W. Żmurko's "Exposition of Mathematics," Yu. Puzyna's two-volume "Theory of Analytical Functions," etc.

The first chemistry department was opened at Lviv University in 1801. Notable chemists of this period were professors Bronisław Radziszewski (1838-1914), Professor Stanisław Opolski (1886-1919) - author of a valuable textbook on organic chemistry, Bronisław Łachowicz - head of the inorganic chemistry department from its founding in 1894 to 1903, and Stanisław Tołłoczko.

Geological sciences were introduced to the list of mandatory subjects at the philosophical faculty in 1851. In 1852, a mineralogical museum was opened; in 1864, a mineralogy department was founded. Until 1868 it was headed by the founder of modern petrography, author of the "Textbook of Petrography," Ferdinand Zirkel (1838-1912).

In the early 1880s, a geography department was created at the university, headed by Professor Antoni Rehman (1840-1917), known for works on the physical geography of the Carpathians. Significant contributions to geographical sciences were made by Eugeniusz Romer (1871-1954) and Ukrainian geographer S.L. Rudnytsky (1877-1937).

Antoni Rehman's first doctoral student was Ukrainian Hryhoriy Velychko (who defended his doctoral dissertation in 1889).

In 1852, two departments were created based on the natural history department - zoology and botany. The development of zoology at the university was mainly associated with the names of the outstanding scientist Benedykt Dybowski (1833-1930) - author of over 350 scholarly works, and Professor Józef Nusbaum-Hilarowicz (1859-1917) - founder of the Polish school of evolutionists.

Lviv historical science achieved significant development. The founder of the Lviv historical school was Ksawery Liske (1838-1891). A notable place among historians of the Lviv school was occupied by Tadeusz Wojciechowski (1833-1919), legal historian Oswald Balzer (1858-1933), Bronisław Dembiński (1858-1939), and Ludwik Finkel (1858-1930) - author of the three-volume "Bibliography of Polish History" and "History of Lviv University." The newly created department of general history and history of Eastern European countries was headed from 1894 to 1914 by M. Hrushevsky (1866-1934) - one of Ukraine's most outstanding historians, author of the 10-volume "History of Ukraine-Rus," hundreds of works on history, literary history, historiography, source studies, and creator of the Ukrainian historical school.

Legal science in the second half of the 19th century moved from narrow practicalism to in-depth study of historical-legal and philosophical disciplines. From 1862, two departments with Ukrainian language instruction began operating: civil law, and criminal law and procedure. Fame was brought to Lviv University by legal scholars Tadeusz Pilat, Ernst Till, Oleksandr Ohonovskyi, Maurycy Allerhand, Oleksandr Dolivsky, Marceliy Chlamtach, Stanisław Szachowski, Przemysław Dąbkowski, Julian Makarewicz, Stanisław Dnistriansky and others.

Ukrainian philology was taught at the university from 1848, when the department of "Ruthenian Philology" was headed by Yakiv Holovatsky (1814-1888), author of works "Grammar of the Ruthenian Language" and "Folk Songs of Galician and Hungarian Rus." In 1849, Ya. Holovatsky was appointed rector of the university. Omelian Ohonovskyi continued Ya. Holovatsky's work, whose greatest achievement was the six-volume "History of Ruthenian Literature," O.M. Kolessa, Kyrylo Studynsky, and Ilarion Svientsitsky.

The history of Polish studies at the university is associated with the names of professors Antoni Małecki (1821-1913), Roman Pilat (1846-1906), Wilhelm Bruchnalski (1859-1938), Konstanty Wojciechowski (1872-1924), Bronisław Gubrynowicz (1870-1933), Yu. Kallenbach, Yu. Kleiner, V. Hahn and others.

Lviv University had great traditions in classical philology. Until 1918, such outstanding world-renowned scholars as Ludwik Ćwikliński (1852-1942), Bronisław Kruczkiewicz (1849-1919) and Stanisław Witkowski (1866-1950) worked at this department. Thanks to them, Lviv became a prominent publishing center in the field of classical philology. Lectures on Romance philology began in 1918.

After the collapse of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, Galicia was seized by Poland. The Ministry of Religious Affairs and Education of Poland on November 18, 1918, by special order, announced that it was taking Lviv University under its care and gave it the name of Polish King Jan Kazimierz. Polish became the only language of instruction at the educational institution; only at the theological faculty were some disciplines taught in Latin. Departments with Ukrainian language instruction were closed. Within two to three years, all professors and docents of Ukrainian nationality were dismissed from work, and Ukrainian youth had limited access to university education.

University leadership was conducted based on the University Statute (Statutes of 1924, 1929 and 1934). The academic senate headed by the rector remained the governing body. Until 1924, the university consisted of four faculties. By order of the Ministry of October 31, 1924, the philosophical faculty was divided into two separate faculties: humanities and mathematical-natural sciences. In the early 1920s, the university had 55 departments, 19 divisions, 6 clinics, 2 polyclinics, a faculty library, a scientific library with university archive, and a botanical garden.

At the same time, there was not a single department with Ukrainian language instruction in the university, not a single professor of Ukrainian nationality. Only in 1933 did docent I. Svientsitsky receive the right to teach. In the 1928/29 academic year, a department of "Ruthenian Philology" was opened, headed by Professor Ya. Yaniv.

In terms of student numbers, Lviv University was one of the largest in Poland. From 1919/20 to 1937/38, their number increased from 2,647 to 5,026. The principle of "numerus clausus" was introduced, according to which Ukrainians had restrictions on university admission (no more than 15% of applicants; Poles in this case had not less than 50%). The academic year began on October 1 and ended on June 30; it was divided into 3 parts, or trimesters.

On April 23, 1923, Lviv University was transferred the building of the former Galician Sejm, which became the university's main building.

In the 1920s-1930s, mathematics achieved significant success at Lviv University. Such mathematician-scholars as Wacław Sierpiński, Hugo Steinhaus, Stanisław Ruziewicz taught here, from 1920 - Eustachy Żyliński, from 1922 - Stefan Banach, from 1927 lectures were given by Władysław Nikliborc and Juliusz Schauder, from 1929 - Stefan Kaczmarz, from 1934 - Władysław Orlicz, from 1936 - Herman Auerbach and Stanisław Mazur. These mathematicians created a strong scientific collective known as the "Lviv mathematical school." Stefan Banach (1892-1945), author of "Theory of Linear Operations of Fields," is considered its leader.

Physical science in this period was represented by professors Roman Negrusz, Stanisław Loria, Leopold Infeld, Wojciech Rubinowicz and others. In the field of astronomy, from 1932 Professor E. Rybka worked, heading the astronomical observatory. In the field of chemistry, Stanisław Tołłoczko, Włodzimierz Iszebiatowski, and Wiktor Kemula distinguished themselves. The latter headed the physical chemistry department created in 1937.

Geological science further developed at the university. In 1921, Professor Z. Weyberg created and headed the crystallography department, later headed by Ludwik Chrobak. In 1924, a mineralogy and petrography department was created, headed by Professor Yu. Tokarski.

Geographic science developed under the leadership of the renowned scientist E. Romer. A. Zierhoffer worked in the field of economic geography.

Research in biology was headed by Professor Ya. Hirschl (1883-1951). Besides him, B. Fuliński (1881-1942), H. Poluszyński, J. Sembrat, J. Kunze, J. Noskiewicz, S. Pilawski, L. Monne, and J. Romaniszyn worked at the zoology institute.

In 1926, the comparative anatomy department was transformed into an institute headed by Professor K. Kwietniewski (1873-1942).

From 1918 to 1924, florist I. Wilczyński and botanical geographer and paleobotanist M. Kohvara worked at the botany department. From 1924, the department was headed by S. Kulczyński. The direction of scientific work at this time was mainly floristic (S. Kulczyński, S. Tolpa, M. Kostyniuk, H. Koziy). Professor of plant physiology S. Krzemieniewicz was quite well-known.

In the interwar period, new departments were opened at the medical faculty: biology (1920), drug technology (1932), pharmaceutical chemistry (1932), health protection and history of medicine (1930), and microbiology (1936).

World recognition was gained by the works of I. Badiyan (1930-1937) in the field of bacterial cytology. I. Lenartowicz was a famous dermatologist. In 1936, N. Gonsiorowski organized and headed the microbiology department. The most famous medical microbiologist was Professor H. Weigl (1883-1957). From 1922, the biochemistry department worked under the leadership of J. Parnas.

The famous Lviv-Warsaw philosophical school, whose founder was Kazimierz Twardowski (1866-1938), was known far beyond Poland's borders. The Polish Philosophical Society operated at Lviv University, developing extensive publishing activities. The Lviv-Warsaw philosophical school included scholars J. Łukasiewicz, A. Tarski, I. Dąmbska, S. Luszczewska, H. Mehlberg, L. Chwistek, M. Borowski, R. Ingarden, L. Blaustein and others.

Historical science was represented by the names of outstanding scholars Konstantyn Chyliński (1880-1938), Jan Ptaśnik (1876-1930), Emil Modelski (1881-1966), Franciszek Bujak (1875-1953), and many others.

In the field of legal history, professors O. Balzer and P. Dąbkowski worked, docent K. Korany; in the field of civil law and procedure - professors M. Allerhand, K. Stefko, E. Till, A. Doleński; in the field of criminal law - Yu. Makarewicz; in the field of international public law - Professor P. Ehrlich.

One of the leading fields was Polish studies. E. Kucharski and K. Kolbuszewski continued to work here. The history of Polish studies in the linguistic direction during this period is associated with the names of Kalina, Kryński, Nitsch, Ulaszyn, Gartner and partly R. Pilat and W. Bruchnalski. Among the most valuable works of this period is the book by H. Gartner (1892-1935) "Grammar of Modern Polish Language."

Ukrainian philology at the university was represented by Professor Ya. Yaniv, classical philology - by Professor S. Witkowski and R. Gansiniec (1888-1958), German studies - by Z. Czerny.

In 1925-1935, the university operated departments of Arabic, Ancient Hebrew-Aramaic, Turkish, Mongolian, Indian, Iranian philology and Eastern history. Well-known orientalists and linguists were Professors M. Szarr, Z. Smogorzewski, W. Kotwicz, H. Blatt, A. Tavaronski and Yu. Kuryłowicz.

According to articles of the secret protocol to the USSR-Germany agreement of August 23, 1939, Western Ukraine fell into the Soviet Union's sphere of influence. On September 22, Soviet troops entered Lviv. On October 26, 1939, the puppet People's Assembly of Western Ukraine gathered in Lviv and proclaimed the introduction of Soviet power.

During this period, Lviv University underwent radical changes. In accordance with the Statute on Higher Education in the USSR, a fundamental organizational restructuring of the university as a higher educational institution with free tuition for all citizens was carried out. The theological faculty was liquidated, and the medical faculty with its pharmaceutical department was reorganized into a medical institute. In October 1939, new departments were created: history of Marxism-Leninism, dialectical and historical materialism, political economy, Ukrainian language, Ukrainian literature, Russian language, Russian literature, history of the USSR, history of Ukraine, and physical education. Along with ensuring high professional training of specialists, they were to educate youth based on Marxist-Leninist ideology and materialist worldview.

On December 2, 1940, the Academic Council approved a new university statute stating that all citizens have the right to enter the university regardless of their social origin, gender, race and nationality.

Famous scholars were invited to work at the university: literary historian M. Vozniak, literary scholar, folklorist and poet V. Shchurat, folklorist and musicologist F. Kolessa, writer and literary scholar M. Rudnytsky, historian I. Krypyakevych, mathematician M. Zarytsky and others. The People's Commissariat of Education of the Ukrainian SSR also sent 45 researchers from Kyiv and Kharkiv. Historian by training, Associate Professor M. Marchenko was appointed rector of the university.

By decree of January 8, 1940, the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the Ukrainian SSR gave Lviv State University the name of the outstanding Ukrainian writer and thinker Ivan Franko.

On January 15, 1940, the university began work under new educational programs based on the approved statute, consisting of five faculties: historical, legal, philological (with departments of Ukrainian language and literature, Slavic philology, Romance-Germanic philology), physics-mathematics (with departments of mathematics, mechanics, physics), natural sciences (with biological, chemical, geographical, geological departments). Newly created collegial bodies - the university academic council and faculty councils - decided issues of educational, methodological and scientific work and awarded academic degrees and titles. The department remained the main educational-scientific unit (in 1940 there were 52 of them), which carried out educational work, developed programs for special courses and seminars, and organized scientific work.

University studies lasted four years at humanities faculties and five years at natural science faculties. In 1940, correspondence education was introduced at the historical, philological, natural sciences and physics-mathematics faculties. A branch of the All-Union Correspondence Law Institute was opened at the law faculty.

Scientific activity began at the university. The first scientific session of instructors took place in January-February 1941, and in April - the first student scientific conference. In 1940, postgraduate studies began functioning, with 33 postgraduate students enrolled.

However, the university's work was halted with Germany's attack on the Soviet Union and the invasion of Hitler's troops into Lviv on June 30, 1941. In the very first days, 70 prominent university scholars from the university, polytechnic and medical institutes were arrested, and after beatings and torture were shot in the area of present-day Sakharov Street. Among those killed by the occupiers were world-renowned outstanding scientists, including T. Boy-Żeleński, Roman Longchamps de Bérier, Maurycy Allerhand, Henryk Auerbach, and Stanisław Saks.

In 1942, the German occupation authorities closed higher schools in Ukraine. The occupiers robbed and destroyed university property. Equipment from the physics-mathematics and chemistry faculty cabinets and laboratories, the library of the folklore and ethnography department, which numbered 15,000 volumes, was taken to Germany. From the university's scientific library, in which the main reading room was destroyed, 20,000 volumes of the most valuable books, about 5,000 early printed books and incunabula, and 500 valuable manuscripts were taken.

The restoration of university activities began immediately after Lviv's liberation from Hitler's troops. On July 30, 1944, a meeting was held at the university, whose participants - 127 instructors and technical workers - appealed to the intelligentsia with a call to take active part in rebuilding the economy and educational and cultural institutions of Lviv.

During the second half of 1944 and first half of 1945, mainly through the efforts of students and instructors, premises were put in order at 4 Shcherbakov Street (now Hrushevsky) (biology faculty), at 6 and 8 Lomonosov Street (now Cyril and Methodius) (chemistry and physics buildings), the scientific library and dormitory at 7 Herzen Street were repaired, the astronomical observatory and botanical garden were partially rebuilt.

After more than a three-year break, on October 15, 1944, 194 students of years 2-4 began studying at the university. 226 first-year students started studying on November 1, 1944. First-year students were enrolled even after the beginning of the academic year. In total, at the end of March 1945, 799 students were studying at the university. The educational-methodological workshops, astronomical observatory, botanical garden, scientific library, geological and botanical museums resumed operation.

In 1948, the renowned mechanical scientist Professor H. Savin was appointed rector of the university. From 1951 to 1963, the university was headed by the renowned geologist, professor, corresponding member of the Academy of Sciences of the Ukrainian SSR, later academician of the Academy of Sciences of the Ukrainian SSR Ye. Lazarenko. From 1963 to 1981, the rector was a scientist in the field of electrical engineering, Professor M. Maksymovych; in 1981-1990 - a scholar in the field of history, Professor V. Chuhaіov.

In the postwar period, structural changes in the university continued. In 1945, a chemistry faculty was created consisting of four departments. At the end of 1950, the faculty of foreign philology was separated from the philological faculty as a separate structural unit. Thus, a total of nine faculties operated in the university. At the same time, new departments opened, increasing their number to 71. In 1953, based on the physics-mathematics faculty, two new faculties were formed: mechanics-mathematics and physics, and from 1975 - the mechanics-mathematics faculty was divided into mathematics and the faculty of applied mathematics and mechanics.

In 1959, a university-wide department of foreign (English and German) languages was created to teach foreign languages at non-specialized faculties.

To train press workers, a journalism department was opened in 1953 as part of the philological faculty, and the following year a separate journalism faculty was organized.

In 1966, based on the Lviv branch of the Kyiv Institute of National Economy, an economics faculty was founded, in which the following departments worked: economics, organization and planning of the national economy, finance, accounting and statistics, and mathematical methods in economics.

In the 1975/76 academic year, the university already had 13 faculties. That same academic year, a preparatory faculty for foreign citizens with departments of Russian language and natural sciences began operating.

The increase in the number of faculties, departments, development of new scientific directions, and improvement of educational processes in connection with scientific and technical progress required expansion of the university's material-technical base. In the 1950/51 academic year, the university had 12 educational buildings with a total area of 42,800 square meters, and in 1959-1962 the educational area was increased through the superstructure of the chemistry faculty on Lomonosov Street. In the late 1950s - early 1960s, the university received premises on Sichovykh Striltsiv Street (formerly September 17), which housed the student library, law and geography faculties, and several physics laboratories. In 1966, the university was transferred a building at 18 Prospekt Svobody, which housed the economics faculty. In 1971, a new educational building of the physics faculty was put into operation on Drahomanov Street. In 1984, another building was transferred to the university on this same street. The university's educational area in 1984 amounted to over 55,000 square meters.

One of the university's oldest divisions is the botanical garden. In 1957-1959, a general plan for its development was developed. Two departments were organized here: introduction and plant physiology. In 1970, the botanical garden acquired the status of a scientific institution.

The university's scientific library plays an important role in organizing the educational process and scientific work. In the postwar years, its book collection increased almost 5 times and in 1985 amounted to over 2,700,000 units.

The development of the university's educational, methodological and scientific activities was facilitated by the creation of a printing house and publishing house in 1947, which by order of the Minister of Higher Education of the Ukrainian SSR in April 1957 was reorganized into the statutory publishing house of Lviv University and functioned as a structural unit of the university until 1968 (later reorganized into the publishing house of the Publishing Association "Vyshcha Shkola" at Lviv University, and from 1989 separated into the independent publishing house "Svit"). The university faculties carried out extensive publishing activities. From 1948, "Scientific Notes" of Lviv University were established, reflecting the state of scientific work at the faculties. From 1962, they were published under the general name "Visnyk of Lviv University" with series designation. Students also participated in publishing activities - three student "Almanacs" were published (1954, 1956, 1958). A large amount of teaching aids and methodological literature is printed in the university's machine-offset laboratory, created in 1959.

In the postwar years, a highly qualified team of scientists formed at the university. During 1946-1965, university employees defended 53 doctoral dissertations, and during 1965-1975 - 52. During 1946-1975, 842 candidate dissertations were defended. General recognition of the valuable contribution to the development of science is evidenced by the election of university professors as academicians and corresponding members of the Academy of Sciences of the Ukrainian SSR and the awarding of honorary titles. In particular, in 1948, Professors O. Vyalov, B. Hnedenko, and H. Savin were elected full members of the Academy of Sciences of the Ukrainian SSR; in 1958 - Professor I. Krypyakevych. In 1961, Professor V. Sobolev became a full member of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR. Among university graduates are academicians of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine O. Parasyuk, Ya. Pidstryhach, I. Yukhnovskyi, V. Panasyuk, R. Kucher, M. Brodin, Ye. Fradkin. Such famous Ukrainian writers as R. Bratun, D. Pavlychko, R. Ivanychuk, R. Fedoriv, and V. Luchuk studied at the university.

During the 1950s-1960s, scientific teams formed at departments and faculties and foundations of scientific directions were laid, in particular, theory of plasticity and strength, differential equations, theoretical mineralogy, physico-chemical analysis of metal systems, Franko studies, Slavic studies, national economic resources and culture of the western regions of the Ukrainian SSR, historical and cultural ties of Slavic peoples and others, most of which in subsequent years defined the scientific profile of Lviv University. During the 1960s-1970s, state research topics coordinated by the Academy of Sciences of the Ukrainian SSR significantly expanded, and contract research topics gradually entered into life.

From year to year, the number of students enrolled in the first year of university increased. This was facilitated by the creation of new faculties, specialties and specializations. In 1950, 575 people were enrolled in the first year; in 1970 - over 1,100; in 1985 - over 1,300 people. In the 1947/48 academic year, correspondence education began operating, which made it possible to obtain higher education without leaving production. In 1951-1953, admission to first-year correspondence studies was 300-325; in 1965 almost 1,200 people. In 1959, the university began accepting students for evening studies in the specialties of Ukrainian language and literature, history, physics, mathematics, chemistry; in 1960-1962 - law, Russian language and literature, English and German languages, biology; in 1963-1965 - radiophysics and electronics, computational mathematics, biochemistry; in 1966 - planning of national economy and industry, accounting; in 1970 - organization of mechanized processing of economic information. Admission to the first years of evening studies in those years was 300-350 people annually. Admission to evening studies was discontinued in 1992.

From 1969 to the 1996/97 academic year, a preparatory department functioned at the university, which prepared young people for university admission. Since 1971, an institute for advanced training and retraining of personnel has been operating. Since 1989, 5,998 people have obtained a second education at the Institute for Advanced Training and Personnel Training.

The proclamation of Ukraine's independence is a new page in the history of our University. In 1990, Professor, Doctor of Physical and Mathematical Sciences Ivan Vakarchuk headed the University. The opening of new faculties and divisions - implementation of a large-scale program of reforms in the organization of education at Lviv University. In 1992, the faculty of international relations and the philosophical faculty were established; in 1997 - the faculty of pre-university preparation. In 1992, the Institute of Historical Research was founded, headed by Doctor of Historical Sciences Ya. Hrytsak. Since 1997, the following structural divisions of the University have been operating - the Law College, Center for Humanitarian Research, Institute of Literary Studies, Center for the Study of Italian Language and Culture. Since 1978, cooperation has continued with the Lviv Regional Small Academy of Sciences, in which about 1,000 students study annually. Lecture classes, seminar-practical sessions, student research work under the guidance of scientists, and final conferences of Small Academy departments take place at the university.

On October 11, 1999, by Decree of the President of Ukraine, Ivan Franko Lviv State University was granted "national" status.

During the years of Ukraine's independence, Ivan Franko National University of Lviv has become one of the most prestigious institutions in our state, gained high international authority, and became a powerful scientific center.

On the pediment of the main building of Ivan Franko National University of Lviv is the motto: "Patriae decori civibus educandis" ("Educated citizens are the adornment of the Fatherland"). The collective works diligently to realize this idea. The transformation of our University into a modern European educational institution while preserving achievements and establishing the best national academic traditions is the main goal of our university community.

Source: https://lnu.edu.ua/about/history/