THE HISTORY OF OUR UNIVERSITY 3: Who has the say?

How the role of students at Uni Würzburg has changed

From student-dominated beginnings through professorial hierarchies to higher education reform with equal-status groups: The history of student participation at Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg is full of twists – and surprises.

The question of who actually decides at a university is highly regulated today: higher education laws, committee regulations, electoral regulations. Yet historically speaking, the relationship between students, professors and the state was considerably more fluid and sometimes downright paradoxical.

Initially students dominated

The very first universities in Italy did not emerge as state projects, but as associations of students.

"In Bologna (Italy), for example, students came together, pooled their money and jointly recruited professors," explains Dr. Marcus Holtz, Head of the University Archive at JMU. "That means: at the beginning, students held the power – they were clients and employers."

The university was initially a personal association, not a building. One could theoretically "take" the teaching operation with one by moving to another city together with one's teachers. As things became more established – fixed buildings, stronger influence from the territorial ruler – power shifted: professors and the state gained influence, students lost their say.

Hierarchy instead of equal footing

In the Holy Roman Empire of the German lands, the territorial rulers played a strong role early on. Universities are founded, controlled, reformed. "In Germany, universities were very early dominated by professors and territorial rulers," says Holtz. "Students belong to the university, but they are not an equal-status group."

In addition, there is an internal hierarchy among the professors themselves:

• Ordinaries (chair holders)
• ordinary professors
• extraordinary professors

Until well into the 20th century, a strict hierarchy applied. An ordinary was something quite different from an ordinary professor. And below that, for a long time, nobody else came into consideration.

A 13-year-old student as Rector

Despite all hierarchy, there are remarkable exceptions. Around 1600 in Würzburg, the Polish student Nicolaus de Magna Concice Mnischek Palatinides Sendomiriensis is elected Rector at just 13 years old.

"That's one of my favourite stories," Dr. Holtz recounts. "The boy had come to university early; back then, people started studying much earlier anyway. And he was indeed elected Rector." He later plays a role in connection with the Russian throne – a story in itself. But it shows: students were by no means insignificant.

Today: Co-determination – but limited

Modern forms of co-determination, such as Faculty Student Representations or Student Parliaments, are products of the 20th century. Yet the relationship between study and power remained asymmetrical for a long time.

"It's important to understand that much of what we take for granted today is relatively recent," says the head of the University Archive. "Equal committees, student seats, transparent elections – that hasn't 'always been this way'." Until the post-war period, the influence of professors was clearly dominant. Only the higher education reforms of the 1960s and 70s brought changes, and in Würzburg even a particularly bold variant (more information to follow in an article on the 68 movement).

And today? Students have seats in the Senate, Faculty Councils, commissions. They elect their own representatives, can have a say, but usually cannot dominate. Formally, there is much more co-determination today. "Whether it is used is then another question entirely," says Holtz.

The history of Universität Würzburg shows in any case: the role of students has never been static. Between barely visible hierarchy and seemingly revolutionary equality, everything was and is possible.