The Thun-Hohenstein reforms at the University of Innsbruck

The book addresses the implementation of the so-called Thun-Hohenstein university reforms following the revolution of 1848. These reforms named after minister of education Count Leo Thun-Hohenstein meant a radical reform of the Austrian educational system. The main focus of the reformers had been a reorganization of the universities, however secondary schools have been reformed as well. Regarding the universities, the central modifications were the granting of freedom of teaching and learning, the upgrading of the philosophical faculty and the assignment of the university administration to the professors. Most of the reform measures affected the Austrian educational system for more than a century, some for example the Matura or the habilitation are still valid. While the reform applied to all universities, the book addresses the implementation of the reforms especially at the University of Innsbruck. This case study includes an examination of the planning, implementation and consequences of the reform at the University of Innsbruck. The study shows that the implementation of the reform was not only supposed to pave the way for a scientific revival of the Monarchy, but was to re-educate the Austrian youth after the revolution of 1848. The reform was therefore a balancing act between modernization and Catholic conservatism, liberalizing the general shape of the universities and simultaneously changing the contents in a catholic-conservative direction. Besides the scientific advancing of the University, this dichotomy hence led to a series of conflicts, which was to characterize the history of the University of Innsbruck in the second half of 19th century. This first case study about the implementation of the reform at one university allows new insights in the policy of Leo Thun-Hohenstein. The focus on one single university allows a detailed view on the different ideas, measures and actors of the reform. Since the study uses new sources it hence renders a new and different picture of the reform era.