Imagine waking up at 5 a.m., debating in Latin by mid-morning, and being fined for walking the streets at night. Welcome to the life of a medieval university student. By examining the experiences of Swedish students who attended the University of Leipzig one can learn not only the challenges of earning a degree but also the structured and disciplined life of medieval scholars.
Swedish Students at the University of Leipzig in the Middle Ages: Careers, Books, and Teaching, edited by Olle Ferm and Sara Risberg, details the education and careers of over 200 students who came from Sweden to study at the University of Leipzig in northern Germany. Using the university’s records, the book uncovers the day-to-day lives of these students during the later Middle Ages. Here are fifteen highlights from their findings:
1. The University’s Founding
The University of Leipzig was officially founded on December 2, 1409. Most of the 367 students who enrolled in its first year had come from the University of Prague, who had left that city due to political and religious turmoil. About ten of these students were from Sweden.
2. Swedes at Leipzig
Between 1409 and 1520, about 200 to 230 Swedes enrolled at Leipzig, with the largest group—74 students—hailing from the region of Uppsala.
3. Entering the Bursa
New students were placed into a bursa, a type of religious student housing. This community regulated daily life with routines centred on meals, religious devotions, and academic studies. Latin was the only permissible language, and students were trained in debating and academic writing.
4. Tuition Fees and Exemptions
Students paid tuition for both the winter and summer terms, with fees adjusted based on wealth. The wealthiest paid up to 10 ½ groschen, while the poorest paid as little as two groschen—or were often exempted entirely.
5. Scholarship Opportunities
At least 28 Swedish students received financial support through religious benefices, a form of medieval scholarship funded by Cathedral Chapters or local parishes. These grants covered living costs and tuition, helping less affluent students pursue their studies.
6. Age Limits for Degrees
The university required students to meet minimum age thresholds for graduation: 17 for a Bachelor of Arts and 21 for a Master of Arts. Most students began their education in their late teens or early 20s, ensuring they had a strong foundation for advanced learning.
7. Daily Schedules
“Everyday life was formally structured. The day’s schedule began at 5 am, but the end of the day came early, already at 9 pm. In addition to the classes at the bursa, several activities were obligatory, such as participation in public lectures, exercises and disputations. Limits were placed on these activities. Students were not allowed to attend more than two lectures per day…Some leisure time was allowed. Besides life at the bursa, which was not always agreeable – parodic songs were written about the bad food – the Saxon nation apparently had a lot to offer, such as celebrations of saints’ days and the like.”
8. Rules and Punishments
Forbidden activities included fighting, gambling, spending time with prostitutes, and roaming the streets at night. Offenders faced fines or imprisonment, while theft and murder led to expulsion.
9. Academic Challenges
To earn a Bachelor’s degree, students completed nine academic “books” through lecture series—later increased to thirteen after 1436/7. For a master’s degree, fifteen additional books were required, along with numerous disputations and exercises.
10. Graduation Rates
Despite the rigorous structure, most students didn’t graduate. Of the 212 Swedish students, 102 earned a Bachelor’s degree, and only 37 went on to complete a master’s degree. Swedish students, however, performed slightly better than the average, with graduation rates higher than those of their peers.
11. Time to Graduate
It typically took 2.7 years to earn a Bachelor’s degree and an additional 2.4 years to complete a master’s.
12. Teaching at Leipzig
Between 75 and 80 Swedish students also taught at Leipzig, with four Swedes serving as Rector, the highest university position, for six-month terms.
13. Careers in Sweden
Of the 212 Swedish students, 136 returned to Sweden. Most were linked to their Cathedral, with at least 71 having completed a degree. Twelve became bishops, and 84 joined Cathedral Chapters.
14. Other Professions
Thirty graduates became vicars, two entered monasteries, and six became knights. None of the knights earned a degree, reflecting their focus on other pursuits.
15. Scholarly Contributions
Notably, a few graduates contributed to scholarly work. Kristoffer Larsson, for instance, translated Latin works into Swedish and wrote on theological matters.
The lives of Swedish students at Leipzig reveal both the rigour and camaraderie of medieval academia. From strict schedules to prohibited activities, their experiences highlight the challenges and rewards of university life in the Middle Ages. Many graduates returned to Sweden to take up influential roles in the church and community, shaping the nation’s religious and intellectual landscape.
Swedish Students at the University of Leipzig in the Middle Ages: Careers, Books, and Teaching, edited by Olle Ferm and Sara Risberg, was published by the Centre for Medieval Studies, Stockholm University, in 2014.
