Jesuit Academy of Kolozsvár
The Jesuit Academy of Kolozsvár was a Jesuit educational institution in Kolozsvár (modern-day Cluj-Napoca), founded in 1581 by King Stephen Báthory.
Academicum Claudiopolitanum Societatis Jesu Collegium | |
The Jesuit Church and the Academy (historical picture) | |
| Type | Built as Jesuit College |
|---|---|
| Established | 1581 |
| Founder | Stephen Báthory, prince of Transylvania and king of Poland |
It began with seven Jesuit professors from Italy, Germany, and Poland who constituted the Collegium Academicum Claudiopolitanum. The first rector of the college was the Polish Jesuit priest Jakub Wujek. Academia Cladiopolitana had a university statute, having the royal right to confer the university titles of baccalaureus, magister, and doctor, in two faculties: philosophy, followed by theology.
The Jesuits were banished in 1603 and the Academy was closed in 1606, but in 1698 they came again after the restoration of the Academy. The institution experienced a special momentum in the 18th century, when a large boarding school, called Convictus Nobilium, was built next to the church and university, where students were received regardless of their ethnic origin. Since 1698 until 1786 the Academy evolved into Universitas Claudiopolitana (see the cover of the book from 1742 by Andreas Matis entitled Peregrinus Catholicus de peregrina unitaria religione), and later even having the four classical faculties: Philosophy (since 1581), as a prerequisite for Theology (since 1581, reorganized in 1712/1767), Law (1774), and Medicine (since 1775/1776).
It was partially succeeded by Franz Joseph University, Babeș-Bolyai University, and University of Szeged.