In the spirit of the Enlightenment the university of Dorpat (today Tartu) was re-established in 1802 under Tsar Alexander I. It was founded in 1632 by Gustav Adolf of Sweden and closed in 1710. Until 1886 the German-speaking state university formed a joint intellectual centre for the provinces of Estonia, Livonia and Courland. For decades their significance radiated throughout the entire Russian Empire: There Dorpat scientists were the leaders in the fields of natural sciences, medicine, pharmacy, astronomy and the exploration of Siberia.
Until the end of the 19th century, about 70 percent of the students consisted of children of German origin. In the years from 1808 to 1823 they founded the corporations of Curonia, Estonia, Livonia and Fraternitas Rigensis. Estonian, Latvian, Polish and Jewish students had to fight for social recognition for a long time. Between 1878 and 1900 the number of Latvian students finally increased from 62 to 565.
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The Academia Petrina
The educational institution was established in 1775 in Mitau (today Jelgava), the capital of the Duchy of Courland and Semigallia, on the initiative of Friedrich Wilhelm von Raison by Duke Peter of Biron. Originally planned as a Protestant university foundation, this could not be carried out under Catholic-Polish feudal sovereignty. The Academia Petrina was the oldest higher educational institution in Latvia, attended by famous Latvian personalities such as the poetess Aspazija (1865-1943) or the folklorist Krišjānis Barons (1835-1923).
Photo: Herder Institute, Marburg. Picture Archive.