University of Salzburg

The University of Salzburg

The Salzburg audio-guided tour has you enter within the walls of the University of Salzburg, an institution deeply linked to the intellectual and religious history of the city.

A foundation of Paris Lodron

It was the prince-archbishop Paris Lodron who founded the establishment, first as a school in 1617, then as a university in 1622, which explains why it today bears his name. Law, medicine, philosophy and theology were then taught there. The university closed its doors in 1810, when Salzburg was annexed by the kingdom of Bavaria, and reopened as a university only in 1962. It today spreads its buildings throughout the city and perpetuates a long tradition of learning.

What there is to see

The university is part of the fabric of the old town, a stone's throw from the cathedral and the Kapitelplatz. The nearby Kollegienkirche, the baroque university church, is one of its architectural jewels. A place of student life and intellectual memory, the institution recalls the role of Salzburg as a great centre of learning in the heart of Europe.

Practical information

The University of Salzburg spreads its buildings throughout the old town, near the Kapitelplatz. A place of teaching in activity, its spaces cannot all be freely visited; its surroundings and the neighbouring Kollegienkirche can be discovered along the walk, on the level.

Who founded the University of Salzburg?

The prince-archbishop Paris Lodron, as a school in 1617 then as a university in 1622; it bears his name.

Why did the university close in 1810?

Following the annexation of Salzburg by the kingdom of Bavaria; it reopened as a university only in 1962.