The University of Krakow (today called the Jagiellonian University - Uniwersytet Jagielloński) was founded in 1364 under Casimir the Great of Poland as Academy of Krakow (Akademia Krakowska). Its development was stalled by death of the king, and later the university was re-established (1400) by Wladyslaw Jagiello grand duke of Lithuania and king of Poland and his wife, Jadwiga, queen of Poland. She donated all of her personal jewelry to the university. In the 19th century the university was named Jagiellonian to commemorate this dynasty of Polish kings.
Throughout the history of the University, thousands of students from all over Poland, from Lithuania, Russia, Slovakia, Hungary, Bohemia, Germany and Spain have studied there. In the second half of the 15th century, over 40% of university students came from the countries other than the Kingdom of Poland. For several centuries, virtually entire intellectual elite of Poland was educated at the University.
The first chancellor of the university was Peter Wysz and the first professors were Czechs, Germans and Poles, many of them trained at the University of Prague in Bohemia. The university and the chancellors were partisans of the Council of Basel.
Of the student attending about one third were Poles.
Johannes Longinus (Jan Długosz) and Copernicus attended the University of Krakow. Haller established a printing press in Krakow before 1500. By 1520 Greek was introduced by Constanzo Claretti, Wenzel von Hirschberg and Libanus; Hebrew was also taught. In the modern times its students were John Paul II (Polish language and literature) and Wislawa Szymborska (sociology).
Other famous historical figures connected with the University:
- Pawel Wlodkowic
- John III of Poland
- Wojciech Brudzewski
- Stanislaw Lem
The university is divided in 13 faculties (some have their own sites in English):
- Faculty of Law and Administration
- Faculty of Medicine
- Faculty of Pharmacy and Medical Analysis
- Faculty of Health Care
- Faculty of Philosophy
- Faculty of History ([1])
- Faculty of Philology
- Faculty of Physics, Astronomy and Applied Computer Science ([1])
- Faculty of Mathematics and Computer Science ([1])
- Faculty of Chemistry ([1])
- Faculty of Biology and Earth Sciences ([1])
- Faculty of Management and Social Communication
- Faculty of International and Political Studies
- Faculty of Biotechnology ([1])
Since 2000 the university is building the new complex of university buildings, so called the 3rd Campus.
