Читать книгу The Power of Plagues - Irwin W. Sherman - Страница 40

As the death toll from the plague increased, the numbers of learned individuals decreased. This affected the universities, where lawyers, physicians, and clerics were trained. As the numbers of university students declined, so too did the number of universities. Before 1348 all of Europe had 30 universities, but by the time the plague ended 5 of these had been wiped out completely. The institution of cordons sanitaires as well as other restrictions on travel prevented students from enrolling at distant universities, and so local universities were established. Cambridge University in England acquired four new colleges, each founded by a bequest of a rich and pious patron, and all benefiting poor local scholars and clerics. Similarly, new universities were established throughout Europe in cities such as Vienna, Prague, and Heidelberg, so that it no longer became necessary to travel to Bologna or Paris for an education. This not only diminished the dominance of certain centers of learning but also led to curricular reform, and instruction began to be carried out in the vernacular tongue.