Oxford is one of the oldest and most celebrated university towns in
Europe and for centuries has rivaled Cambridge for academic pre-eminence
in England. Its untrammeled spirit of investigation, which permeates the
old college walls, its delightful gardens, peaceful courtyards and squares,
the hectic bustle of its pedestrian zone, its excellent cultural
facilities - all these help to create the town's special atmosphere.
The name of the town comes either from its literal meaning, a ford for
oxen, or from "Osca's ford". It first appears in the records in 912. The
beginnings of the university, on the other hand, are obscure. Oxford
gradually became the meeting point of scholars who came together mainly to
discuss religious questions. The building of teaching institutions
independent of monasteries and churches was begun shortly after 1264, when
Merton College was founded. In the years following there were further
institutions created leading to the creation of an education system which
can claim to form the academic elite of the country and which strives to
serve both the need for individuality and the demand for a sense of social
responsibility.
The history of the colleges and the resulting University of Oxford was not
entirely free of tensions between the academics and the townspeople. In
1355 there were violent clashes, with many students even being killed in
tavern brawls, for which the elders of the town had to pay compensation.
During the Reformation there was renewed unrest, with many reformers from
Cambridge even being burned to death at the stake for their religious
beliefs. During the Civil War from 1642 to 1645 Oxford was a Royalist
stronghold, but then suffered an economic and academic decline in the
period afterwards. Reform of the monastic system of education did not take
place until the 19th century, with oral examinations being replaced by
written ones, examination degrees being introduced, academics being
employed on the basis of scientific reputation, and even if they were
married, and finally women being allowed to study, even though they have
only been eligible to be awarded academic degrees since 1920.
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