Astronomy | The Vienna Observatory through the ages

Ever since the University of Vienna’s foundation in 1365 astronomy played an important role here. Leading figures from the history of astronomy worked at the young university and helped it come into its first prime, among them Heinrich von Langenstein, Georg Peuerbach, Johannes Regiomontanus and Johannes von Gmunden.

One of these scholars’ most important occupations was observing the movement of heavenly bodies to improve the calendar. Particulary Peuerbach, who came into contact with antique texts on his trips to Italy and circulated them in Vienna, did a great service to this science. Among other things, he introduced the previously unknown trigonometric functions to the Western world. His student Regiomontanus completed his teacher’s work.

Although great accomplishments in the field of astronomy had already been achieved in the university’s early years, almost 400 years passed until the Alma Mater Vindobonensis received its own observatory in 1755.