The Catholic University of Leuven, or Louvain, was the largest, oldest and most prominent university in Belgium. It was founded in 1425 by Pope Martin V. After the disruptions of the French Revolutionary Wars, it was refounded in 1835.
In 1968 the university split to form two institutions:
This entry deals with the historic university, 1425-1797 and 1835-1968. For the current successor institutions and their separate development since 1968, see t...
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The Catholic University of Leuven, or Louvain, was the largest, oldest and most prominent university in Belgium. It was founded in 1425 by Pope Martin V. After the disruptions of the French Revolutionary Wars, it was refounded in 1835.
In 1968 the university split to form two institutions:
This entry deals with the historic university, 1425-1797 and 1835-1968. For the current successor institutions and their separate development since 1968, see the individual articles wikilinked above.
In the 15th century the city of Leuven, with the support of John IV, Duke of Brabant, made a formal request to the Vatican for a university. Pope Martin V issued a papal bull dated 9 December 1425 founding the University in Leuven as a Studium Generale. As such it is the oldest Catholic university in the world continuing to operate today and, counting from its refounding in 1835, the oldest with the name "Catholic University" as part of its title. In its early years, the university was modelled on those...
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