The beginnings of institutionalised girls’ education in the territory of present-day South Tyrol from the Middle Ages to the “Renewed Tyrolean School Regulation” of 1747

Résumé

This research analyses the first verifiable efforts made towards an institutionalised female
education in the territory of present-day South Tyrol, drawing upon primary and secondary
sources. Beginning with the earliest recorded testimonies during the 11th century,
the study follows the development of educational institutions for girls and shows female
exclusion from and integration into contemporary monastic and ecclesiastical
schools (convents and parishes) and secular institutions (“Latin- and German urban
schools”). Both the ecclesiastical and the secular educational initiatives were influenced
by large-scale developments. At the same time, research has uncovered regional implementations
and interpretations influencing other events beyond the regional borders (e.g.
the foundation of an order for poor girls’ education by Maria Hueber during 1696 in
Brixen).
The predetermined timeframe for the research ends with the “Renewed Tyrolean School
Regulation” of 1747, specifically including girls as potential pupils of secular schools.