March 24, 1765

Constituent instrument issued by Empress Maria Theresia

1767

Commencement of instruction at the Pferde-Curen- und Operationsschule (Imperial Royal School for Horse Cures and Operations) at what is today Favoritenstraße 3

1768

First formal examinations at the Pferde-Curen- und Operationsschule

1768

Johann Gottlieb Wolstein departs on his journey to France, Germany and England to study veterinary medicine

1775

Wolstein returns

1775

Establishment of a professorship for livestock diseases at Vienna’s School of Medicine and Surgery under Paul Adami

December 12, 1776

Constituent instrument issued by Emperor Joseph II establishing what would later be the k.k. Thierspital (Imperial & Royal Animal Hospital) under Wolstein

1777

Opening of the k. k. Thierspital under the direction of Johann Gottlieb Wolstein for farriers, physicians and surgeons at Rabengasse 57

1781

Elimination of the chair for livestock diseases

1781

Publication of Wolstein’s book about preventing livestock diseases and Adami’s book on livestock diseases

1781

Decree to establish a professorship in livestock diseases at every medical school in the Habsburg Monarchy; the candidates for these teaching posts were initially trained in Vienna

1795

The Thierspital is renamed k. k. Militair-Thierarzneyschule (Imperial & Royal Military School of Veterinary Medicine) in the wake of Wolstein’s dishonorable dismissal; the new director is Johann Knobloch

1801

The school is placed under the authority of the Imperial War Council; scientific oversight by a surgeon-general

1806

Partial evacuation of the school as Napoleon’s troops march into Vienna

1808

Establishment of the Imperial & Royal Pensioned Veterans, an institution to train two physicians and two surgeons per year as professors, teaching assistants or rural veterinarians

1809

Four full professorships; their fields include epidemiology, nutrition & pharmaceuticals, shoeing & diseases of the hoof, as well as anatomy and physiology

1812

Incorporation of the k. k. Thierarzney-Institut as a department of the University of Vienna’s School of Medicine and Surgery

1816

Imperial decree mandating that professors at the Tierarznei-Institut have the same status as all other university professors

1823

Opening of the campus on Linke Bahngasse; probably, the opening of a canine clinic as well

1834

Establishment of a sheep pox facility to synthesize vaccines and dispense them free of charge

1841

Introduction of the title Master of Veterinary Medicine, magister medicinae veterinariae

1848

Revolution in Vienna; many veterinarians serve in the physicians’ unit, Akademische Legion

1849

Anatomy Professor Leopold Graf is dismissed due to his involvement in the Revolution of 1848

January 1, 1849

Admission of three classes of persons to receive training in the treatment of animals: farriers, masters of veterinary medicine (licensed physicians and surgeons), and veterinarians (graduates of the third form at normal school); for the first time, the institute also admits civilians who are neither physicians nor surgeons

1850

Separation of the department from the university organization; new name: Imperial & Royal Military Veterinary Institute

1852

The institute is again placed under the authority of the Imperial & Royal Ministry of War

1857

1^st academic reform implemented by Moritz Friedrich Röll: applicants must be at least 17 years of age, have graduated from normal school, and be able to read and write; duration of the course of study: six years for civilian students; four semesters for certified physicians and trained farriers

1859

Sixth professorship

1864

Closure of the sheep pox vaccination facility

1865

Regulation mandating that swine and ruminants be treated free of charge at the institute’s clinic

1869

Establishment of the first agricultural-chemical testing station

1871

2^nd academic reform implemented by Moritz Friedrich Röll: admissions examination administered by a committee

December 31, 1896

Imperial decree elevating the institute to the level of a university: diploma from a domestic college preparatory school is made a requirement for admission; duration of the course of study increased to four years; Graduate Veterinarian established as an academic title; institute authorized to confer a post-doctoral degree

1897

New curriculum requirements only for civilian students: Graduate Veterinarian (magister medicinae veterinariae) established as an academic degree; establishment of additional lectureships and expansion of the course offerings

1899

Introduction of an evening series of scholarly addresses, an outgrowth of which in 1919 is the Society of Veterinarians in Vienna

November 24-27, 1902

Strike by civilian students protesting the privileges granted to military students, most of whom were merely farriers

1902

Renewed student protests

1905

Founding of the Vienna and Budapest Military Veterinary Academy: 20 military students per year, all of whom must also be college preparatory school graduates

1908

Doctorate for veterinarians (Dr. medicinae veterinariae)

1908

The last farrier upon whom a Veterinarian diploma is bestowed

May 1908

Renewed strikes by civilian students protesting privileges of military students

February 6, 1909

First celebrations by recipients of a Master’s degree

August 23,1909

Free elections of the chancellors of the veterinary universities in Vienna and Lemberg; the chancellor receives the honorary title Magnifizenz

1909-1912

Further expansion and diversification of the course offerings and research activities

1911

Casualty insurance made mandatory for all students at the university

1912

Founding of the Mensa academia veterinaria (refectory)

January 1, 1914

First year of publication of the monthly veterinary journal Wiener tierärztlichen Monatsschrift

March 1914

Bloody riots protesting the preferential treatment of military students

1914-1918

World War I: conscription of both faculty members and students into military service; clinics’ and departments’ focus is on war-related tasks; Mensa assigned humanitarian functions

1918-1920

Clean-up efforts at the university and reorganization of the teaching activities; financial support from abroad

May 1919

Founding of the Society of Veterinarians in Vienna

January 21, 1919

Women are allowed to be admitted to study veterinary medicine

January 1, 1920

The Veterinary University is subordinated to the Federal Department of Education; civilian administration of the institution

1922

Students on call throughout the day at the university clinics

1924

Establishment of a fund to finance the acquisition of major pieces of equipment: x-ray machines

1925

Student on-call service in the university clinics is expanded to a 24/7 basis

October 8, 1927

Establishment of a Department of Radiology thanks to a donation by the Rockefeller Foundation

1927-28

Introduction of a new curriculum: duration of the course of study increased from eight to nine semesters

1929

Global economic crisis reduces the university’s activities to a subsistence level

August 1, 1933

Reassignment of veterinarians as officers in the Paramedical and Veterinary Service (pursuant to Army Officials Reassignment Order); veterinarians were previously officials in the Army Administration

1938

Anschluss (annexation) of Austria by the Third Reich; the University is subordinated to Nazi Germany’s Ministry of Science and Education; Gleichschaltung: regulations governing curriculum and examinations brought into mandatory conformity with the Nazi system

1939

Honorata Knopp becomes the first woman to successfully complete the study of veterinary medicine in Vienna

1939-1945

World War II: Cutbacks in teaching and research activities due to conscription of faculty members and students

1944

De-enrollment ban: Students are forbidden to withdraw from the university

September 10, 1944

Bombs hit the university campus for the first time

Spring 1945

Evacuation of the university to Salzburg and Upper Austria to safeguard animals and equipment

July 17, 1945

Restoration of the facts & circumstances prevailing prior to 1938

Beginning in May 1945

Postwar period: Clean-up activities at the university

1946

Complete resumption of teaching and research activities and clinical operations

1954

First international continuing professional education course

1955

Founding of the Electron Microscopy Laboratory

1956-1966

Authorization, construction and opening of the Veterinary University’s Central Isotope Laboratory in the Department of Physiology

April 4, 1957

Ceremonial dedication of Merkenstein, an estate near Baden, as the university’s new teaching and research facility

1957

Establishment of the Association of Friends of the Veterinary University and initiation of the Armin von Tschermak-Seysenegg Prize and the Josef Bayer Medal

July 17, 1962

Gertrude Keck, a specialist in medical physics, is the first woman to be appointed as associate professor at the Veterinary University

February 1963

Outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease in the Buiatrics Clinic (cattle); as a consequence, the so-called epidemic trap is introduced for the purpose of changing, sterilizing and disinfecting clothing

1975

University Organization Law: The Veterinary University is renamed the University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna

Easter 1975

Outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease

1977

Research Institute of Wildlife Ecology

1982

The Research Institute of Wildlife Ecology moves into premises on Wilhelminenberg

1990

Groundbreaking ceremony for the new campus in Vienna’s 21^st Municipal District

1996

Opening of the new campus on Josef-Baumann-Gasse

2004

The 2002 University Law goes into effect; 21 universities are granted autonomy

2011

Incorporation of the Research Institute of Wildlife Ecology and the Konrad Lorenz Institute for Comparative Behavioral Research into the University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna; establishment of the Department of Integrative Biology and Evolution

2012

Opening of the Messerli Research Institute