Masaryk University

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Masaryk University
Masarykova univerzita

Latin: Universitas Masarykiana Brunensis
Established:	1919
Type:	Public
Rector:	Prof. Petr Fiala
Students:	40,456
Location:	Brno, Czech Republic (EU)
Affiliations:	EUA Compostela Group Utrecht Network
Website:	http://www.muni.cz/

Masaryk University is the second largest university in the Czech Republic, a member of the Compostela Group and the Utrecht Network. Founded in 1919 in Brno as the second Czech university, it now consists of nine faculties and 40,456 students.^[1] It is named after Tomáš Masaryk, the president of Czechoslovakia at the time of its founding.

In 1960 the university was renamed Jan Evangelista Purkyně University after Jan Evangelista Purkyně, a Czech biologist. In 1990, it was renamed Masaryk University in Brno. Finally, the present name of 'Masaryk University' was settled upon in 2006.

1 History
2 Faculties
3 Notable alumni
4 Notable professors
5 Footnotes
6 External links

[edit] History

Masaryk University was founded on 28 January 1919 by Act No. 50/1919. Constitution of the second Czech university was possible only after the fall of the Austro-Hungarian monarchy because of resistance of German-controlled city council. Brno was at that time a bilingual city. Notable demonstrations in favour of establishing a university in Brno happened in 1905 and on 8 November 1913.^[2]^[3]

From the beginning, the university suffered from a lack of funds. The volatile state of public finances in 1923-1925 and 1933-1934 led to proposals of abolishing both the Faculty of Arts and the Faculty of Science respectively. Both faculties eventually survived up until 17 November 1939 when the whole university was closed by the Nazi occupiers. A number of professors of Masaryk University were executed or tortured, for example the Faculty of Science lost one quarter of its teaching staff.^[3]

The renewal of university life after the end of the war was interrupted by the Communist putsch. Students expelled ranged from 5 percent at the Faculty of Education to 46 percent at the Faculty of Law, which was completely closed in 1950. In 1953, the Faculty of Education (founded in 1946) was separated from the university. In August 1960, a government decree abolished the Pharmaceutical Faculty and the University was renamed Jan Evangelista Purkyně University in Brno.^[3]

Relaxation occurred in 1964 with reintegration of the Faculty of Education to the university and with reestablishment of the Faculty of Law in 1969. But conditions changed again rapidly with the Normalization of the 1970s after the 1968 invasion of Warsaw Pact troops to Czechoslovakia.^[3]

The University was renamed Masaryk University in Brno in 1990, regaining its original name by dropping "in Brno" from the title in 2006. A new era of development began after the Velvet Revolution of 1989 and establishment of faculty of Economics and Administration in 1991, Informatics in 1994, Social Studies in 1998 and Sports Studies in 2002.^[2] The University Campus has been under construction in Brno Bohunice since 2002. The last stage of development should be completed in 2015.^[4]