Theresianum

[2] In 1746, Empress Maria Theresa sold the palace to the Jesuits for 30,000 guilders in order to transform it into an educational institution, preparing talented young men for civil service.

As stipulated in two founding letters, the newly established “imperial academy” under the auspices of Maria Theresa was based on the principles of strict selection, the highest pedagogic and scientific standards, and instruction in “modern” foreign languages.

After the 1848 revolutions in different parts of Europe, Francis II's successor, Franz Joseph I, decided to open admission to “sons of the bourgeoisie” and to put the school under public regulation.

[8] Before World War I, instruction in Hungarian was mandatory, while learning English, French, Italian, Polish, Bohemian, Slovenian, Serbo-Croatian and Romanian was optional.

Optional coursework includes Russian, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Hungarian, Polish, Japanese and Chinese;[9] native-speaking instructors help teach these classes.

[17] By 1910, a wealth of physical education classes, including swimming, dancing, riding and fencing was offered to students to supplement their academic curriculum.

[20] In order to develop well-rounded pupils, Theresianum requires students to attend individual or group study sessions in the afternoons with their instructors.

[22] Often referred to as one of Austria's finest schools,[23][24][25] Theresianum has shaped over 260 years of Austrian and European history; its graduates include Nobel Prize winners, political leaders, as well as writers and thinkers across a wide array of disciplines:[26]