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Lviv University, that is, the National Ivan Franko University of Lviv, is associated today primarily with the monumental building erected for the Galician Provincial Diet (Sejm) in the time of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. For almost a century and a half after its foundation, the Habsburg University of Joseph II (from 1784) and Francis II (from 1817) functioned in other places. The move of the University about the city, adaptations of buildings not meant for studying and, finally, the construction of the institution's own buildings as well as their design approaches are testament of political and social transformations, changes in the ideas of what the spaces for studies should be like, as well as of the development and expansion of the city.

University Within the City Walls

In 1783, when the issue of finding a suitable building for the newly founded University arose, Lviv was a small city surrounded by defensive walls. Sufficient buildings to accommodate the University were monasteries. At the same time, the policy of Habsburg Emperor Joseph II was aimed at reducing the power of the Church. Thus, in accordance with his reforms many monasteries were abolished. As a result, in the central part of Lviv, where six monasteries had been located earlier, the Jesuit monastery building (Teatralna street 13-15) was given to the gymnasium; later some state structures were placed there. The Franciscan monastery next to it (has not survived) was made a German-speaking theater. The Dominican monastery (Muzeyna square 1) and the Bernardine monastery (Soborna square 3a) became archives as they still are today. In order to accommodate the University, in particular, the Missionary Fathers' monastery on Zamarstynivska street and the Bridgettines' convent on Horodotska street were considered.

After all, the former Trinitarian monastery was chosen. Its complex was at that time situated near the northern edge of the then city of Lviv, at a fortified wall with the Krakivska gate in it. To the west of it, in the place of present-day Teatralna street, there was a moat, which separated the "Low Castle", i.e. the old residence of the Lviv starosta (royal official), from the rest of the city. From the east the University was limited by Krakivska street and from the south by Virmenska street, whose section nearby was called University street (Ger. Universitäts Gasse).

On the left: a fragment of a 1777 map, which records the existence of the "Low Castle" with a moat along present-day Teatralna street and a bridge across it, as well as the Krakivska gate. On the right: a fragment of an appr. 1802 map, which records the "Low Castle" already disassembled, as well as other fortifications and new residential buildings

Appearance and Style

The Baroque complex of the Trinitarians' monastery was erected in the 18th c. It consisted of a church and a monastery which were interconnected and had massive walls and small windows, especially from the north, where the fortifications were located. In the north-west corner of the monastery a tower was built, and its south-west corner was supported by a powerful buttress. Only the main arched entrance with a decorative framing stood out against generally ascetic façades. The church, with its wavy baroque façade tops, had a more distinctive and stylish design.

Condition of the Buildings on the Eve of the Opening

The condition of the buildings erected only 50 years earlier was estimated as neglected: the researchers of the University's history emphasize the dampness of the premises and the lack of sunlight faced by its founders. Due to the lack of time before the opening ceremony in November 1784, the building "was really decorated on the outside, but it was not completely renovated inside" (Finkel, 1892, 54). Lecture rooms were formed by merging several cells. On the second floor, there were professors' apartments. Part of the premises were occupied by medical and chemical laboratories, an anatomical theater, tool rooms, etc. In the church, a library was placed; also, solemn events were to be held there, as there was no special hall for them.

Transformations in the 1820s

While the University was first "reduced" to a lyceum and then, in 1817, given its former status back, Lviv ceased to be a fortress. The old walls were gradually dismantled, the city expanded in all directions due to new territories, as well as in the suburbs, displacing the local estate housing. Commissions, held in 1806-1808, recognized the building "damaged for a long time" and stated that "it was raining into the physical museum and the bookstore, and in the winter snow was in the corridors and rooms.". According to the University historians, the need for repair was discussed regularly, but in 1823 the accelerated organization of an extensive reconstruction was facilitated by visits of Archduke Franz Karl in July and then by Emperor Francis II(I) (Finkel, 1894; Jaworski, 1912).

The reconstruction project was designed by architect Ignaz Chambrez, a professor of architecture at Lviv University. The construction works were performed by Izak Bauer in 1825-1828. The most remarkable change that could have been noticed by Lviv residents was the superstructure of the 4th floor intended for the so-called Akademia Stanowa and the gymnasium. In addition, the building was redesigned and an up-to-date air heating system was established there. The system of Paul Meissner, an engineer and professor at the Vienna Polytechnic, was first tested only in 1820 (Kohlmaier, von Sartory, 1991, 55). However, as historians point out, this much hoped for system appeared to be not very user-friendly. While the construction works continued, the Akademia Stanowa and the gymnasium were transferred to nearby townhouses (probably Krakivska street 13-17), where some university lectures also took place (Finkel, 1894, 280).

Temporarily at the Town Hall (1848-1851)

Condition of the University buildings (former Trinitarian monastery complex) after the bombardment of Lviv in November 1848. On the left: view from Krakivska street. On the right: view from present-day Lesi Ukrainky street.

On the left: view from Virmenska street. On the right: view from Teatralna street (Franciszek Jaworski, "Uniwersytet Lwowski", Biblioteka Lwowska, t. XVIII (Lwów, 1912), s. 75, 77, 79, 81).

A great fire caused by the bombardment of the city on 3 November 1848 destroyed the University building completely, as well as a number of nearby townhouses. The surviving library books were temporarily placed in a building owned by the Governor's office (situated, probably, on present-day Vynnychenka street 8 at that time), then in the rented premises of the former Dominican Monastery. A half-year break was announced in the studies, later extended to a year. So the academic years 1849/1850 and 1850/1851 passed in the rented rooms of the City Hall. This solution was not unusual, since the City Hall often offered its facilities for rent, in particular, to schools which still had no buildings of their own. This time, however, all faculties of the University of Francis II (I) (Ger. Kaiser Franzens-Universtität, Franzens-Universtität Lemberg), as well as the Technical School, which had also lost its building on Virmenska street, had to huddle together.

After 1848, the territory with the monastery ruins was given by Emperor Francis Joseph I to the Ukrainians of Lviv. The church was later rebuilt as the Greek Catholic Church of the Transfiguration of the Lord under a project designed by Sylwester Hawryszkiewicz. The remnants of the monastery were disassembled. Partly in its place the Ruthenian People's House, was built, a new Korniaktów (now Kornyakta) street was laid, where a residential building (No. 1) was built, and an open green space was arranged in front of the church on the side of Teatralna street. On the left: process of reconstructing the former Trinitarian church, later the University library, as the Greek Catholic Church of the Transfiguration of the Lord. Photo from the collection of Yuriy Zaverbny, Urban Media Archive. On the right: view of the church in the interwar period; photo from the collection of Volodymyr Rumyantsev, Urban Media Archive.

Academic Center on Św. Mikołaja Street (1851- )

After 1848 the University administration looked for a new building. In 1851 a building near the Trinitarian monastery's St. Nicholas church was rented for the University; in 1888 it was bought out (Starzyński, 1894, 79). This building was erected only in 1842 for the Jesuit convictus (the order was banned in 1773; however, in the 1820s the ban was lifted). In 1848 the Austrian army soldiers who participated in the suppression of the Spring of Nations in Lviv were stationed there.

Due to the emergence of the University in this place, the street of St. John (Ger. Sankt Johann Gasse/ Pol. św. Jana) present-day Shevchenka boulevard) was named Akademicka (Academic).

Photo of the University on Św. Mikołaja (now Hrushevskoho) street, approx. 1912. Source: Biblioteka Narodowa, F.7733/II

During 1851 the building was reconstructed, the premises were distributed in the same way as it was in the previous University building in the city's central part. From that time on, the entire block between present-day Hrushevskoho, Drahomanova, Kotsiubynskoho and Kyryla i Mefodiya streets became the academic center of Lviv. In 1852 the history of the University's botanical garden was initiated on the basis of the former convictus garden (Zhuk, 2014).

New University Buildings

Due to the expansion of the University and the increase in the number of students, the issue of the construction of new buildings arose. The territory under consideration for the construction was an area on Mochnackiego and Długosza (now Drahomanova and Kyryla i Mefodiya) streets, adjacent to the main building and botanical garden. It was occupied, however, by residential buildings and homesteads.

Buildings for the faculties of natural sciences were to be constructed as first priority as they needed new spaces with modern technological equipment most of all. Thus, the first building erected in Lviv specifically for the needs of the University, was the building of chemistry, mineralogy and pharmacology on Kyryla i Mefodiya street 6 (1890-1892). Physical sciences were located in two buildings: the first one was constructed in the yard, in the rear part of the plot on Kyryla i Mefodiya street 8 (it was completed in 1897). In front of this building, there was a residential townhouse, but later it was bought out and demolished; it was then that the second part of the physical faculty building was erected (before 1912). At that time, a significant modernization of Lviv was just under way: centralized water and electricity supply was being arranged, and this had a strong influence on the architectural design of the University buildings and their parts (in a different way in each of them).

On the left: chemical faculty building after construction. Photos from the collection of the Lviv Historical Museum, Urban Media Archive. On the right: physical faculty building (now partly in the yard) after construction. Source: Kronika uniwersytetu lwowskiego, t. I, (Lwów, 1899), s. 240

In addition to the buildings of the physical and chemical faculties, where geographic laboratories, an astronomical observatory and a specialized library were also located, it was planned to construct buildings for the biological/zoological and archaeological departments of the University. However, these ideas have not been implemented.

Library

In 1851 the library was transferred to several rooms on the ground floor of the building on Św. Mikołaja street. Soon the rooms became too small for the library needs. The Ministry of Education and Religious Affairs set a task of developing a project of the "Book Tower", which should be added to the existing building. Joseph Braunseis, one of the Lviv architects at the Governor's Office, designed such a project in 1896; however, considering the future development of the University and the number of library visitors from outside the institution, he advocated the construction of a separate building (Biblioteka Uniwersytecka, 1912, 1-4).

The building was designed by the Technical Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Austria-Hungary. The project was based on that of the University library in Graz, completed only in 1895. Some changes were made, in particular, certain areas were enlarged and an additional entrance was arranged; the façade design was also changed. In December 1899, the Governor's Office appointed Gregor Pezanski (Grzegorz Peżański) with the finalization of this project; he was also sent to Vienna and Graz to adopt the local practices and methods (Biblioteka Uniwersytecka, 1912, 4-6).

On the left: Library of the University in Graz. Photo by Dr. Marcus Gossler. Posted under Creative Commons. On the right: Library of Lviv University on a postcard (a fragment). Source: Biblioteka Narodowa, Poczt. 3720

The construction of a modern library became a great achievement for the University. Contemporaries called it the first really modern building in Poland, full of light and outfitted with handy equipment (Biblioteka Uniwersytecka, 1912, 1). At the same time, there were negative reviews in the press related to the "governmental" imperial style of the building, certain inconveniences in its outlay, heating system and location in the city's territory, as well as some organizational issues associated with the library functioning as an institution and with the number of its staff ("Nowa biblioteka uniwersytecka", Kurjer Lwowski, 1905, No. 64, s. 9).

The Medical Campus (1894-), a Separate Higher Educational Institution from 1939

The photo was taken not earlier than 1898, when the lateral buildings were completed. From the collection of the Lviv Historical Museum, Urban Media Archive.

In the 1890s, a separate medical campus was created, located in the Lychakivske suburb, near the General Provincial Hospital (now Chernihivska street 7). Academic buildings for theoretical classes were located on Pekarska street, the first to be the central, anatomy building. Since the building was completed just when the General Provincial Exhibition took place, its solemn opening in 1894 was held with the participation of Emperor Francis Joseph I and became a significant event in the life of the city. By 1898 the anatomy building was complemented by two others: pathology and forensic medicine one from the east, and pharmacology one from the west. Thus the buildings formed a complex with a large cour d'honneur between them.

On the left: a 1890 mapbefore the construction of the medical buildings. The main hospital is marked with number 110. There were a garden and a stream in the area where the medical and theoretical buildings were located. The territory of the hospitals (now the Lviv Regional Clinical Hospital) is signed as "Wulka Kampianowska", the name telling about the previous owners of this territory. On the right: a 1895 map, where the buildings of the University and the hospitals are already indicated, as well as those that were under construction at that time.

On present-day Nekrasova (then Pijarów) street, a hospital complex was built: first, in the center, a gynecologic and obstetric clinic, and then, on both sides, an internal medicine clinic and a surgical clinic. Today they are the buildings of the Lviv Regional Clinical Hospital, which is closely connected with the Medical University.

Architectural Style of the University Buildings in the Austro-Hungarian Period (1871-1918)

The projects of the buildings of natural sciences faculties, medical buildings and libraries were designed by the technical bureau of the Governor's Office in Lviv, in particular by Joseph Braunseis and Hryhoriy Pezhanskyi (Pol.Grzegorż Peżański); the construction was carried out by the following Lviv private companies: Julian Cybulski (physical faculty building), Ivan Levynskyi (medical buildings), Bronisław Bauer and Karol Richtmann (library). The construction of these buildings, and in particular their modern technical equipment, was a matter of pride for the University administration and its historians. The Neorenaissance style of the buildings reflects close links with Vienna and the pursuit of trends typical of the capital, as well as loyalty to Emperor Francis Joseph I due to his support of the University development. In Lviv, the government buildings of the Governor's Office and the Galician Provincial Diet (Sejm) had been built in the same style. However, this style was also strongly criticized, in particular, it was referred to as foreign and was called "the Austrian architectural bureaucratic pattern", "a dry style with no face and expression," etc. (e.g. Kazimierz Mokłowski, "Nowa bibljoteka uniwersytecka", Kurjer Lwowski, 1904, No. 144, s. 1-2).

On the left: the Governor's Office building On the right: Galician Diet building. Photos of the 1890s, from the collection of Ihor Kotlobulatov, Urban Media Archive

The New Main Building of the University

In the late 19th c. the building, constructed on Św. Mikołaja street 4 in 1842, was already insufficient. It was not only about the lack of premises, because the University was expanding, but also about the quality of space. The dark and damp rooms, the leaking roof, the walls that had lost their bearing capacity — all this was only a part of the problems faced more and more often. The building was to be replaced by a completely new one, with the use of the botanical garden territory. An architectural competition was announced for the project. The construction of the new main building had to summarize all the achievements of the University for over a century and, unlike the buildings designed at the Governor's Office, had to demonstrate the sovereignty of the autonomous province of Galicia as only local, in fact, Polish architects were permitted to compete. One of the project's tasks was to place in front of the building a monument to the king of Poland Jan Kazimierz, who founded the Jesuit College in Lviv, as the founder of Lviv University.

The main façade of the new building of the University in competitive projects. Above: the project of Adolf Sziszko-Bogusz and Maksymilian Burstin (one of the second places in the competition). In the middle: the work of Władysław Derdacki and Witold Minkiewicz (third place). Below: the project of Ignacy Kiędzerski (no reward) (Architekt, 1913, no 5-6, 72, 74, XIV.7.19).

The visualization of the new University building in competitive projects. On the left: the project of Tadeusz Obmiński (one of second places); on the right: the project of Sławomir Odrzywolski and Adam Ballenstädt (no reward) (Architekt, 1913, no 5-6, 79, XIV.7.18).

Of the 32 received projects, none was selected for the first place. While the discussions and revisions continued, in 1914 the First World War began. When it was over, the issue was no longer relevant, as the University administration was given the large building of the former Galician Diet (now Universytetska street 1).

In the interwar period, the university expanded and developed as the Jan Kazimierz University and from 1939 as the Lviv Ivan Franko University.

Sources and literature

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2. Katarzyna Brzezina, "Materiały do dziejów artystycznych kościoła Trynitarzy p. w. Trójcy Przenajświętszej we Lwowie", Sztuka kresów wschodnich, t. II, (Kraków, Instytut Historii Sztuki Uniwersytetu Jagiellońskiego, 1996), 193-211
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Written by Olha Zarechnyuk
Translated by Andriy Masliukh

To cite: Olha Zarechnyuk. "The Spaces of Lviv University (1783-1914)". Translated by Andriy Masliukh. Lviv Interactive (Center for Urban History, 2018). URL: https://lia.lvivcenter.org/en/storymaps/university-1784-1918/