Technical Academy
| Technical Academy | |
| 200px | |
| Type | academy |
|---|---|
| Abreviation | * |
| Established | 4 November 1844 |
| Liquidated | 1877 |
| Liquidation cause | Reorganisation |
| Affiliations | Lviv Polytechnic National University |
| Successor | Higher polytechnic school |
Technical Academy was opened in Lviv at November 4, 1844. Its first principal was an Austrian from Galicia, a graduate of the Vienna University of Technology, Professor, PhD Florian Schindler (1844-1848).
Technical Academy rented room in the Darovskoho house, at the corner of the current Armenian and Teatralna (Long) Streets.
At the beginning of Academy in its structure functioned two-years-long (from 1847-1848 academic year and — three) technical department, one-year business department and two-year real school. Then functioned the departments of physics and science, higher mathematics and mechanics, technical chemistry. By that time the professors of mathematics, physics, practical geometry, bill and trade law, geography, accounting, German, arithmetic and elementary mathematics, Polish, French, English and Italian, drawing and calligraphy teached there. There also were courses of Christian religion. Studies were carried out in German.
In autumn 1848 the building of Technical Academy burned. In 1849-1850 it was rebuilt. At the beginning of 1851 the Academy completely resumed studying. A. Rayzinhera was assigned as a permanet principal. Being on this position, he dedicated twenty years of his life for technical education in Galicia.
The structure of the institution was changed: in 1853 the commercial department separated from the Academy and in 1856 a real school did it. The department that covered the most important sectors of the engineering profession stayed. The main technical areas that laid the groundwork for future faculties outlined more clearly.
The Academy was gradually gaining recognition as a center of high-quality technical education and science. In 1851 the department of mathematics was headed by Ukrainian Zhmurko Lawrence (1824-1889), who became one of the first founders of the so-called Lviv mathematical school. Among his numerous works a study of variations and integral calculus stands out more clearly. Professor of Physics Felix Stzheletskyy was the first who analytically grounded Lissajous curve that were empirically discovered by the French physicist.
In 1871 the Technical Academy raised their status - received the rights of the university. The regulations state that the Academy is managed by board of professors led by the rector. The board of professors elects the rector for one academic year from among its members, and approves their choice — the Ministry of Education. Department is managed by dean, which is elected by board of professors from among professors for two academic years. The first rector of the Technical Academy in 1872-1873 became professor of physics F. Stzheletskyy. To mark the reforms and the new school year there were celebrations that took place in the scientific branch of Ossolineum (now — Scientific Library of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine).
The Academy constituted of three departments: Engineering, Architecture, Technical chemistry and in 1877 — Mechanical engineering. Since 1870 in there operated three general departments: Descriptive geometry; Mechanics and theory of machines; Construction of roads, bridges and railways. Later in the Academy were opened: Department of geodesy (head D. Zbrojek), Department of chemical engineering (G. Hyunsberh) and Department of Engineering (B. Marynyak). In 1871 the department of architecture was headed by Yulian Zakhariyevych.
Although the building of the Academy was restored but it could not satisfy Galician public since at that time in Europe the technological revolution took place. It became necessary to build a new building that meets the requirements of polytechnic education. Drafting of a new building of the Academy and the leadership of its construction was entrusted to the architect Julian Zakhariyevych, who later (14 November 1877) became its rector.
The construction started on April 1, 1874 in the western part of the city close to the New World street (later — L. Sapieha, now — Bandera). The work was done quickly. In September 1876 the two-story building of the Chemical Department and the facade of the main building were completed and in October 1877 — it was finished at all.
The construction of the new building of the Technical Academy became a milestone in the process of the city building and art of building development, it became a starting point in the formation of Lviv school of architecture, technical personnel training and implementation of advanced engineering, it was the first project of Y. Zakhariyevych which he performed brilliantly. Noting the contribution of the architect in the construction, college professors elects him to be rector of the Academy. With the increasing importance and status of Technical Academy as high school, college professors suggested to change its name. On October 8, 1877 the Academy becomes the "Technische Hochschule", in approved translation it sounds — "Polytechnic High School".
