The Register of the Faculty of Law at the University of Vienna, Vol. 2 (1442-1557)

The manuscript centers on an edition of the register of the faculty of law at the University of Vienna between 1442 and 1557; the original is kept in the Archives of the University of Vienna (signature J 2). The critical edition with explanatory notes is made accessible with the aid of both a register of persons and a location register, enabling the analysis of the text by different branches of science. The registers list students of the university along with other source documents to the extent which they could be traced, and the town or location of origin of the students are listed in the location register. The deciphering of the persons mentioned in the sources in the registers is not merely a list, but rather also allows for a quantitative approach to the prosopographical research of the Middle Ages and Early Modernity. In the introduction the careers of selected lawyers are delineated and the law faculty of the University of Vienna is presented at a glance, with a concentrated inspection of the period from the mid-15th to the mid-16th century. The introduction thus contextualizes the University of Vienna in general and the faculty of law in particular geographically and historically, especially the area of influence of the university, its importance in comparison with other late medieval universities as well as the land of origin of the students. Political events, crises and wars were considered if they had an effect on the number and land of origin of the students. Another focal point of the introduction is a paleographic analysis of the various scribes, with a nod to research on the history of Humanism. Following a general analysis of the scripts, with the help of paleographic analysis individual scribes were subjected to a more detailed analysis. Based on the script analyses and consideration of other (university) sources, it was possible to make general statements about the writing quality of the faculty of law. Also in the introduction is an evaluation of the number and land of origin of the students and their careers at the University of Vienna. Therefore it was possible to give a prosopographical overview of the law students, illustrated by the broader biographies of selected individuals. Another section contains the content of the study of law, the study conditions and everyday life at the faculty of law, as far as could be inferred from the source. The universities in Italy and their differences to Vienna, especially regarding the content of the studies, receive particular attention. The importance of Roman law, which, in contrast to Canon law, could not be studied until the end of the 15th century in Vienna, is analyzed in regards to student mobility and the strong attraction of studying in Italy. In addition, a statistical analysis was performed, investigating the frequency, the graduation rate, the social and regional origin, the amount of fees for studying as well as part of the previous studies and employment of law students. The last part of the introduction examines the different job opportunities for law graduates, exemplified by the specific careers of selected lawyers after graduation. The possible professional fields centered around service to the royal court, in the church or working for city administrations. The introduction and the registers ease the use of the source and enable a prosopographic analysis of the students and professors of the law faculty while simultaneously providing biographies of certain select personalities in order to illustrate aspects of the history of scribes, student mobility or the post-graduate professional life of students. 1