SIG FACUL IVR IN VNIVERS NANCEIENSI

Foundation   The history of the University of Nancy is linked to the tormented destiny of Lorraine and of East France. The origins of our University may be found in the papal bull Supereminenti, dating back to september the fifth 1572, under the reign of Pope Grégoire XIII. A University was founded in Pont-à-Mousson, a market town distant of 25 km from Nancy. In those times, the necessities of the Counter-Reformation did require the foundation of five Faculties in Lorraine (Arts, Theological studies, Canon Law, Civil Law, and Medicine) : the dukes of Lorraine needed to enlist the élite They thus needed a University to educate their people. At the meantime, in 1621, the Academy of Strasbourg (founded in 1538) was converted into a University. Alasce had now its own University dedicated to Reformation. In the late XVI th, the University of Pont-à-Mousson was very successful and gathered around 1200 students. The University of Pont-à-Mousson was deemed to be the equivalent of the Jesuit University of Ingolstadt, in Bavaria. The Faculty of Law of Pont-à-Mousson already had great figures : Professor Pierre Grégoire was the Dean of the Faculty. He published in 1583 a reply to the jurisconsult Charles Dumoulin (Pierre Grégoire, Réponse au Conseil de Charles Dumoulin sur la dissuasion de la réception du Concile de trente en France). Despite the promises of its early years, the University of Pont-à-Mousson suffered from the consequences of the Guerre de Trente ans.	The former University (now the Municipal Library of Nancy)
The golden gates and fountains of Place Stanislas today	Transfer and maturity   Finally, two years after the death of Stanislas the Benevolent and immeditately after a royal edict dissolving the Compagnie de Jésus, the University was transferred to Nancy in 1768. Nancy was now the Capital city of Lorraine. Thanks to Duke Stanislas (former king of Poland), the city was magnificent and its reputation was firmly established for the majesty of its architecture, especially the golden gates and fountains. A new buidling was erected to welcome the Faculty of Law and the Faculty of Medecine. Nowadays, this building hosts the Municipal Library.
Crisis   The Revolution and the First Empire was a dark period for the University of Nancy . The dissolution of our University was decided in Paris for obscur reasons. (Some learned historians suspect the suppression was decided in order to favour the expansion of the University of Strasbourg).	The "Palais de l'Académie" in 1907 (It still is the main building of the Faculty of Law)
Visit of Raymond Poincaré at the University of Nancy on the 28 th of july 1912	Expansion   People in Nancy had to wait the years 1850 and the Second Empire to see the University rise youthfully alive from the ashes of the Revolution . The Faculty of Law was re-created in 1864. Since then, the Faculty of Law is located in the Palais de l’Académie (Built in 1858). The Faculty of Nancy did benefit from the patriotic fervour, after the Annexion of Alsace by Germany in 1870. For example, President Raymond Poincaré, who had been a student in the Faculty of Law of Nancy, visited the University in 1912 (He was at this time a Secretary for State).
The Faculty of Law in the XX th Century   The XX th century was a very creative and prolific period for the Faculty of Law of Nancy. Dean François Geny (1861-1959) spent 32 years in Nancy teaching to generations of students. His reputation spread worldwide for his research on Civil Law. He published major books such as : Méthode d'interprétation et sources en droit privé positif (1899), La technique législative dans la codification civile moderne (à propos du centenaire du Code civil, 1904), Science et technique en droit privé positif (1914-1915). Dean René Roblot was another great figure of our Faculty. He co-authored with Georges Ripert the major French treaty on Commercial Law. This reference Law Treaty, familiarly called Ripert et Roblot, is continued by younger authors. Professor René Roblot was also interested in the construction of the Europan Community. Professor Roblot was involved in the foundation of the Centre Européen Universitaire in 1951. After World War II, there was an urgent need to create a community among European students. European students gathered in Nancy to plan the future of Europe and to study the premices of EC Law. More recently, Professor André Vitu gained a strong reputation for Criminal Law. He co-authored the reference book on Criminal Law, also called Merle et Vitu . In comparative Law, Dean Denis Tallon gained an international reputation. For example, he sat as a representative for France in the Unidroit International Organisation (dedicated to the restatement of European contract Law). He was elected Professor in the Faculty of Law of Paris (Université Panthéon-Assas) and Head of the Institut de Droit Comparé.	"Ma gloire n'est pas d'avoir gagné quarante batailles ; ce que rien n'effacera, ce qui vivra éternellement, c'est mon Code Civil et les procès-verbaux au Conseil d'État." Napoléon
The new building of the Faculty of Law, neighbouring the " Palais de l'Académie "	The Faculty of Law in the Knowledge Age In this early XXI th century, the Faculty of Law assumes the think tank role of society. There are two Universities in Nancy : Nancy I dedicated to Science and Medecine and Nancy II dedicated to Arts and Law. The Faculty of Law is now a part of University Nancy II. In 2003-2004, the Faculty of Law is composed of 30 University Professors and 54 lecturers in Private Law, Public Law, Roman Law and Economics. The Faculty of Law maintains its traditions and its recognized level of excellence in classical subjects such as Civil Law, Commercial Law and Criminal Law. The Faculty also develops new areas of research with success : Law and Economics, Internet Technology Law ... Our location in the very center of Europe attracts numerous foreign students, espescially from Eastern Europe. We also belong to a widespread academic network, having partnerships with foreign Universities.
by Professor Olivier CACHARD, Faculty of Law, University NANCY II E-mail : olivier.cachard@univ-nancy2.fr

 

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