The formation of medieval universities in western Europe broke the monopoly of church education, changed the western education system, formed a class of professional intellectuals who dominated western culture, and trained a large number of administrators, lawyers and popes who managed churches and countries. It has shaped the thinking mode of European reasoning and formed an immortal academic tradition in the West. There are many discussions about the causes, influences and historical position of universities in Western Europe in the Middle Ages, but there are few discussions about the relationship between universities and cities in the Middle Ages. Therefore, studying this issue can supplement the existing research results and provide reference for the development of modern universities in China.
First of all, medieval cities supported the emergence and development of universities.
Because the universities in western Europe in the Middle Ages were generally located in cities, the relationship between cities and universities was very close. Medieval cities were the cradle of universities. Cities provide various needs and guarantees for universities and provide a model for their survival.
1. Cities provide a material foundation for universities.
Universities in medieval western Europe were generally located in cities with relatively developed economy and convenient transportation. Due to its unique geographical advantages, the city has become a handicraft and commercial center, and a large number of people and funds have poured into the city from all directions. In the middle ages, there were many cities with a population of 10 thousand. For example, in the14th century, London and Cologne were big cities with a population of about 40,000. The population of Paris is about 80,000, and the populations of Venice, Milan and Naples in Italy are all above 50,000. The dense population in big cities makes the urban economy more prosperous. In the vast rural areas, the self-sufficient feudal natural economy at that time could not provide the economic needs needed by universities. "Only rich cities can provide a large sum of money for the establishment of universities, solve the accommodation problem of teachers and students, and bring a large number of people who are not engaged in production but specialize in teaching together in one place." [ 1]
2, the city can provide security for the city residents (including college teachers and students).
Medieval cities in western Europe were generally built with city walls, with towers on the walls and trenches around them, which were connected with the outside world through suspension bridges. The suspension bridge is a bulwark against the enemy. A strong city wall can provide necessary protection for the residents in the city (including university teachers and students) and reduce their possibility of danger. This is also one of the factors for universities to choose cities.
3. Cities can meet various needs of universities.
Due to the large population and wealth gathered in the city, a large number of citizens in the city can provide enough rooms and teaching venues for university teachers and students to rent. "They can also provide logistical support for running a school, such as food, accommodation, entertainment (wealthy students often go to pubs and other entertainment places)" [2] and consumer goods that teachers and students must use, such as clothes, medicines, pen and ink, paper, books and so on. For poor students, the city also provides them with various possibilities to earn living expenses. The dependence of universities on city life leads to universities never leaving the city. That is to say, there is a university migration. "Scholars just move between cities, and there has never been an example of a university moving from the city to the countryside." [3]
4. The concept of urban autonomy provides a model for university autonomy.
The movement of western European cities for autonomy and freedom and privilege in the Middle Ages mainly took two ways to confront feudal lords: one was redemption, that is, redemption with money to get rid of some feudal obligations and obtain corresponding economic and political privileges. After the successful redemption, urban citizens got rid of their personal attachment to feudal lords, no longer undertook feudal labor and military service for them, and were not subject to judicial trial by the lords' court. Lords can no longer set up checkpoints and levy market taxes at will, so that some cities have gained some freedoms and privileges in this way and become "free cities"; The second is through armed struggle. If the exchange method is not successful, the public will solve it by force. For example, 1 1 the urban commune movement in Lumbard in the 20th century, the citizens of Milan established the civic commune by violence, the people's uprising in Cheng Lang, France, and so on.
The struggle for urban autonomy provides a reference for universities. The concept of urban autonomy provides impetus for universities to seek autonomy. [4] For their own survival and development, universities often use strike, migration and other means in the struggle between the two forces of teaching and vulgarity, and skillfully use the gap of multi-angle contradictions to find development opportunities. For example, in 1 155, the German emperor Frederick I issued a constitutional order to protect foreign students studying law in Bologna, stipulating that they have the freedom of movement and residence necessary for pursuing knowledge. In the struggle, medieval universities gained the rights of independent management, teacher qualification examination, degree conferment, tax exemption and exemption from military service, strike and migration. [5] The municipal government can not only tax the university, but also infringe on the property of the school and the personal freedom of teachers and students. Under the influence of the concept of urban autonomy, universities have also established their own groups with reference to the model of urban guild groups, making the ideal of university autonomy a reality. Medieval universities in western Europe gradually formed the spirit of school autonomy and academic freedom in the atmosphere of free class and free debate, which laid the foundation for the western thinking mode.
Second, the role of universities in promoting cities.
Medieval cities were fertile ground for the emergence and development of universities. Universities in cities depend on cities, and the emergence and development of universities have played an inestimable role in the prosperity and progress of cities.
1. Universities have trained a large number of practical talents for cities.
Medieval universities are groups with different degrees of autonomy, which are composed of students who study advanced knowledge of various disciplines and their teachers. [6] Universities located in cities are basically composed of teachers and students. There are only a few monks among the teachers, mainly secular scholars. Students come from different social classes, including children of senior priests, nobles and wealthy citizens, and a few from poor families. Universities generally teach in Latin, and the contents are generally divided into four subjects: theology, literature and art, law and medicine. Students can get a degree by passing the public defense examination. All kinds of talents who graduated from the school entered various urban management institutions, engaged in urban industrial and commercial activities, engaged in inter-city or inter-regional trade, and engaged in the judicial and medical industries. A considerable number of graduates became senior priests and aristocratic bureaucrats. Universities in cities provide a lot of human resources for the prosperity and development of cities.
2. Universities help to improve the visibility of cities.
Medieval universities played a great role in promoting urban development. The influence of the city where the university is located continues to expand, making the city more attractive to the outside world and attracting a large number of people to the city. On the one hand, it can stimulate urban trade and bring sustained economic benefits to the city, especially increasing citizens' income and municipal taxes. On the other hand, cities can also rely on local famous universities to gain unique status and prestige and enhance their image. For example, Gernert University and Paris University are international political, economic and cultural centers. It is precisely because universities have such benefits to cities that secular monarchies, churches and municipal institutions actively use huge sums of money to set up new universities. For example, German emperor Frederick II established the University of Naples in 1224, Pope Comte De Toulouse established the University of Toulouse in 1229, King Castilla established the University of Salamanca in northern Spain in 12 19, and Pope Sinibaldo Fieschi established it in 1245. In addition, as schools become more and more important to the city's economy and reputation, neighboring cities that realize the benefits of running schools try to attract teachers and students to leave their original cities and re-establish schools in their cities. 1 189, Bologna asked local teachers to swear that they would not move their schools to other cities.
Therefore, in medieval cities, gorgeous aristocratic palaces, towering cathedrals and famous universities are not only symbols of big cities, but also direct manifestations of the city's political and economic strength. The arrival of a large number of literati and their followers has improved the cultural atmosphere and education level of the city, greatly improved the quality of the population and won a good reputation for the city. Like Paris, Cambridge, Oxford, Bologna, etc., they are all famous for their old universities at home and abroad.