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| Theresianum | |
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German:Theresianische Akademie | |
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| Information | |
| Other name | Theresian Academy |
| Established | 1746; 279 years ago (1746) |
| Founder | Maria Theresa |
| Gender | |
| Language | German |
| Website | www |
Theresianum (orTheresian Academy;German:Theresianische Akademie) is a privateboarding andday school governed by the laws for public schools inVienna, Austria. It was founded in 1746 by EmpressMaria Theresa of Austria.
In 1614, theHabsburgs purchased Angerfeldhof, a farmstead located just outside Vienna, and renovated it.Favorita, as the Habsburgs would call the re-modeled farmstead, became their imperial summer residence and a well-known venue for performances in the second half of the 17th century.
Although the residence was burned down in the course of theBattle of Vienna in 1683, a bigger and more glamorousNeue Favorita was rebuilt over the following decades.[1] Three emperors of theHoly Roman Empire –Leopold I,Joseph I andCharles VI – resided in the palace. In 1740, when Charles VI died inNeue Favorita, his eldest daughterMaria Theresa decided not to enter the building again.[2]
In 1746, Empress Maria Theresa sold the palace to theJesuits for 30,000 guilders in order to transform it into an educational institution, preparing talented young men for civil service. As stipulated in two founding letters, the newly established “imperial academy” under the auspices of Maria Theresa was based on the principles of strict selection, the highestpedagogic andscientific standards, and instruction in “modern” foreign languages.[2]
In 1773, after Maria Theresa's sonJoseph II had dissolved the religious order of theSociety of Jesus, Theresianum was temporarily closed. More than 20 years later, in 1797,Francis II re-opened Theresianum under the direction of thePiarists.[3] He also completed the building's present-day neo-classical façade and built ancillary facilities, including a swim school. After the1848 revolutions in different parts of Europe, Francis II's successor,Franz Joseph I, decided to open admission to “sons of thebourgeoisie” and to put the school under public regulation.[4]
In 1883, the Consular Academy, the world's oldest school of international relations (founded by Maria Theresa as the Oriental Academy in 1754 and later renamed), was relocated toNeue Favorita.[5] It was housed in a separate wing of the building until 1905, when it was moved to a house in Boltzmanngasse, which houses theU.S. embassy today.[2]
By the end ofWorld War I, most of the school's properties inAustria,Hungary and other parts of the Habsburg monarchy were sold. In 1938, after the “Anschluss” toNazi Germany, Theresianum was transformed into aNational Political Institute of Education. DuringWorld War II, the school was so heavily damaged that it could only be re-opened following extensive renovation work in 1957.[6]
In 1964, theDiplomatic Academy was re-opened as a successor to the Consular Academy inNeue Favorita. Its graduates include formerU.N. Secretary General and Austrian presidentKurt Waldheim, as well as European ministers and senior public officials.
At Theresianum,co-education was introduced at the end of the 1980s – the first female instructors started teaching in 1988, while the first female students were admitted one year later, in 1989;[7] in 1993, the first headmistress was appointed.[8]
BeforeWorld War I, instruction in Hungarian was mandatory, while learningEnglish,French,Italian,Polish,Bohemian,Slovenian,Serbo-Croatian andRomanian was optional.[2] Today, the school's curriculum requires students to learn three spoken foreign languages (English andFrench) as well asLatin. Optional coursework includesRussian,Spanish,Italian,Portuguese,Hungarian,Polish,Japanese andChinese;[9] native-speaking instructors help teach these classes. Language exchange programs are offered to students in the 4th and 7th grades (U.S. equivalent grades 8 and 11); additional courses are regularly organized in preparation for language competitions.[10] International students from age 15 to 18 can apply for three, five or 10-month study programs at Theresianum;[11] as of 2009, students from 27 different countries attended the school.[12] Theresianum sustains a network of 18 international partner schools.[13]
Based on the Theresianum Enrichment Model (THEM), students are offered a set of extra-curricular activities that complement mandatory coursework.[14] These classes include special rhetoric and presentation seminars, community service, cultural and business projects, as well as tailored career advice services.[15] Moreover, Theresianum participates in bi-annually organized Model European Parliament sessions[16] that prepare students for leadership roles in theEuropean Union.[17]
By 1910, a wealth of physical education classes, including swimming, dancing, riding and fencing was offered to students to supplement their academic curriculum.[2] Today, Theresianum offers weekly sports courses across 15 disciplines, organizes three dedicated sports weeks (in the 2nd, 3rd and 5th grade, U.S. equivalent grades 6,7 and 9) and operates a school-owned ski club;[18] 20 musical instruments are taught at the school.[19]
Theresianum operates as both a primary school and aGymnasium (U.S. equivalent grades 5 through 12); as of 2010, 815 students attended 33 Gymnasium classes (i.e., 24.7 students per class) and were taught by 130 instructors (i.e., 6.3 students per instructor).[20]In order to develop well-rounded pupils, Theresianum requires students to attend individual or group study sessions in the afternoons with their instructors. School days typically end between 5:30p.m. and 6:00p.m., depending on the student's age. Grades 5 to 8 (U.S. equivalent grades 9 to 12) used to attend lectures on Saturday mornings now, however, all students have a 5-day school week. 100 students were also enrolled in Theresianum's full-boarding option as of 2007.[21]
Throughout its history, Theresianum has retained parts of its historic park in the center of Vienna (approx. 50,000 m2), and properties in Süßenbrunn and Strechau, outside the city.[2] The school's sport facilities include an indoor swimming pool, two beach volleyball courts, tennis, soccer and basketball courts, and indoor gyms. All classrooms are equipped with state-of-the-art digital media equipment and laboratories are used for biology, physics and chemistry classes. The school's historic rooms (library, etc.) can be used for special events.[22]
Often referred to as one of Austria's finest schools,[23][24][25] Theresianum has shaped over 260 years of Austrian and European history; its graduates include Nobel Prize winners, political leaders, as well as writers and thinkers across a wide array of disciplines:[26]
48°11′35″N16°22′14″E / 48.19306°N 16.37056°E /48.19306; 16.37056
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