Contemplate this: a university born of exile. The Ukrainian Free University stands before us. It is a testament to the enduring spirit of Ukrainian scholarship. This private graduate university in Munich has a fascinating history. Its story is one of resilience, adaptation, and unwavering commitment to Ukrainian culture and education.
The Ukrainian Free University was inaugurated in Vienna on January 17, 1921. It emerged from the initiative of Ukrainian journalists and writers abroad. They aimed to create an institution free from the political influences dominating Soviet Ukraine. Oleksander Kolessa became its first rector.
Initial enrollment was low. Most Ukrainian émigrés were in Prague and other Czechoslovak locales. Volodymyr Starosolsky secured the support of Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk. Masaryk was the president of Czechoslovakia. The UVU was then relocated to Prague. The Czechoslovak government guaranteed financial assistance and the right to use Charles University’s resources.
By 1931, the faculty expanded. Enrollment increased significantly. The UVU became the center of Ukrainian academic life in Czechoslovakia. Its library grew to include 10,000 titles.
The 1930s brought a crisis. The Czechoslovak government’s relationship with the Soviet Union and Poland strained. This limited the rights of Ukrainian political émigrés. Rector Ivan Ya. Horbachevsky saved the UVU from dissolution.
After the partition of Czechoslovakia, the UVU was placed under the German rector of Charles University. Enrollment rose again. Students arrived from the Generalgouvernement. Volodymyr Kubijovyč secured monthly grants and financing for the institution’s press.
In May 1945, the Soviet Army occupied Prague. Most of the faculty emigrated westward. The UVU was liquidated and its assets plundered.
In 1946, the UVU was re-established in Munich. This was thanks to Vadym Shcherbakivsky and a group of scholars. The faculty expanded to include émigré scholars from central and eastern Ukraine. Bishop Ivan Buchko helped fund the revival. Instruction continued in law and philosophy.
In 1950, the Bavarian Ministry of Education officially recognized the UVU as a private university. Monetary reforms in Germany complicated finances. Many professionals and students emigrated to North America. Classroom instruction was cut back sharply. It was eliminated altogether in 1956.
The UVU established the Institute for Correspondence Education. It sought to maintain ties with faculty in Canada, France, and the USA.
In 1965, Yurii Blokhyn reintroduced classroom instruction. Volodymyr Yaniv expanded it further. This included summer and winter courses. These courses were in general Ukrainian studies.
The Ukrainian Free University acquired a building in 1974. This was made possible by a donation from Cardinal Yosyf Slipy. Between 1972 and 1989, the UVU organized numerous conferences.
Today, the Ukrainian Free University stands near the Nymphenburg Palace. It has three faculties. These are philosophy, Ukrainian studies, and government and political economy. Since 2009, the Ukrainian Free University relies entirely on its own resources. It is a unique institution dedicated to Ukrainian scholarship. It offers graduate programs primarily in the Ukrainian language. The Ukrainian Ministry of Education recognized UFU doctoral degrees in November 1992.
The Ukrainian Free University has evolved. It is now a full-fledged European Union graduate school. It continues to focus on Ukraine and things Ukrainian. It has published over 250 works since its establishment in Munich. The library holds the largest Ukrainian special library in Western Europe. The Ukrainian Free University remains a beacon. It shines for Ukrainian education and culture in the heart of Europe.