1897: First Female Students

By decree of the Ministry of Culture and Education, women with Austrian citizenship and a regular Matura (Maturity Exam) are allowed to enrol at the Faculty of Philosophy. In international comparison, Austria is rather late with this decision. The requirement of a regular Matura is still a big barrier because women are only allowed to take the exam privately (at additional costs). It becomes possible to take the regular Matura at girls’ high schools from 1898 onward. That means that only three female students enrol in the winter semester 1897/98.