The works of the Gumpp family still strongly characterise the appearance of Innsbruck today. The baroque parts of the city in particular can be traced back to them. The founder of the dynasty in Tyrol, Christoph Gumpp (1600-1672), was actually a carpenter. However, his talent had chosen him for higher honours. The profession of architect or artist did not yet exist at that time; even Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci were considered craftsmen. After working on the Holy Trinity Church, the Swabian-born Gumpp followed in the footsteps of the Italian master builders who had set the tone under Ferdinand II. At the behest of Leopold V, Gumpp travelled to Italy to study theatre buildings and to learn from his contemporary style-setting colleagues his expertise for the planned royal palace. Comedihaus polish up.

His official work as court architect began in 1633. New times called for a new design, away from the Gothic-influenced architecture of the Middle Ages and the horrors of the Thirty Years' War. Over the following decades, Innsbruck underwent a complete renovation under the regency of Claudia de Medici. Gumpp passed on his title to the next two generations within the family. The Gumpps were not only active as master builders. They were also carpenters, painters, engravers and architects, which allowed them to create a wide range of works similar to the Tiroler Moderne around Franz Baumann and Clemens Holzmeister at the beginning of the 20th century to realise projects holistically. They were also involved as planners in the construction of the fortifications for national defence during the Thirty Years' War.

Christoph Gumpp's masterpiece, however, was the construction of the Comedihaus in the former ballroom. The oversized dimensions of the then trend-setting theatre, which was one of the first of its kind in Europe, not only allowed plays to be performed, but also water games with real ships and elaborate horse ballet performances. The Comedihaus was a total work of art in and of itself, which in its significance at the time can be compared to the festival theatre in Bayreuth in the 19th century or the Elbphilharmonie today.

His descendants Johann Martin Gumpp the Elder, Georg Anton Gumpp and Johann Martin Gumpp the Younger were responsible for many of the buildings that still characterise the townscape today. The Wilten collegiate church, the Mariahilfkirche, the Johanneskirche and the Spitalskirche were all designed by the Gumpps. In addition to designing churches and their work as court architects, they also made a name for themselves as planners of secular buildings. Many of Innsbruck's town houses and city palaces, such as the Taxispalais or the Altes Landhaus in Maria-Theresien-Straße, were designed by them. With the loss of the city's status as a royal seat, the magnificent large-scale commissions declined and with them the fame of the Gumpp family. Their former home is now home to the Munding confectionery in the historic city centre. In the Pradl district, Gumppstraße commemorates the Innsbruck dynasty of master builders.

Anyone travelling in Austria will be familiar with the domes and onion domes of churches in villages and towns. This form of church tower originated during the Counter-Reformation and is a typical feature of the Baroque architectural style. They are also predominant in Innsbruck's cityscape. Innsbruck's most famous places of worship, such as the cathedral, St John's Church and the Jesuit Church, are in the Baroque style. Places of worship were meant to be magnificent and splendid, a symbol of the victory of true faith. Religiousness was reflected in art and culture: grand drama, pathos, suffering, splendour and glory combined to create the Baroque style, which had a lasting impact on the entire Catholic-oriented sphere of influence of the Habsburgs and their allies between Spain and Hungary.

The cityscape of Innsbruck changed enormously. The Gumpps and Johann Georg Fischer as master builders as well as Franz Altmutter's paintings have had a lasting impact on Innsbruck to this day. The Old Country House in the historic city centre, the New Country House in Maria-Theresien-Straße, the countless palazzi, paintings, figures - the Baroque was the style-defining element of the House of Habsburg in the 17th and 18th centuries and became an integral part of everyday life. The bourgeoisie did not want to be inferior to the nobles and princes and had their private houses built in the Baroque style. Pictures of saints, depictions of the Mother of God and the heart of Jesus adorned farmhouses.

Baroque was not just an architectural style, it was an attitude to life that began after the end of the Thirty Years' War. The Turkish threat from the east, which culminated in the two sieges of Vienna, determined the foreign policy of the empire, while the Reformation dominated domestic politics. Baroque culture was a central element of Catholicism and its political representation in public, the counter-model to Calvin's and Luther's brittle and austere approach to life. Holidays with a Christian background were introduced to brighten up people's everyday lives. Architecture, music and painting were rich, opulent and lavish. In theatres such as the Comedihaus dramas with a religious background were performed in Innsbruck. Stations of the cross with chapels and depictions of the crucified Jesus dotted the landscape. Popular piety in the form of pilgrimages and the veneration of the Virgin Mary and saints found its way into everyday church life. Multiple crises characterised people's everyday lives. In addition to war and famine, the plague broke out particularly frequently in the 17th century. The Baroque piety was also used to educate the subjects. Even though the sale of indulgences was no longer a common practice in the Catholic Church after the 16th century, there was still a lively concept of heaven and hell. Through a virtuous life, i.e. a life in accordance with Catholic values and good behaviour as a subject towards the divine order, one could come a big step closer to paradise. The so-called Christian edification literature was popular among the population after the school reformation of the 18th century and showed how life should be lived. The suffering of the crucified Christ for humanity was seen as a symbol of the hardship of the subjects on earth within the feudal system. People used votive images to ask for help in difficult times or to thank the Mother of God for dangers and illnesses they had overcome.

The historian Ernst Hanisch described the Baroque and the influence it had on the Austrian way of life as follows:

„Österreich entstand in seiner modernen Form als Kreuzzugsimperialismus gegen die Türken und im Inneren gegen die Reformatoren. Das brachte Bürokratie und Militär, im Äußeren aber Multiethnien. Staat und Kirche probierten den intimen Lebensbereich der Bürger zu kontrollieren. Jeder musste sich durch den Beichtstuhl reformieren, die Sexualität wurde eingeschränkt, die normengerechte Sexualität wurden erzwungen. Menschen wurden systematisch zum Heucheln angeleitet.“

The rituals and submissive behaviour towards the authorities left their mark on everyday culture, which still distinguishes Catholic countries such as Austria and Italy from Protestant regions such as Germany, England or Scandinavia. The Austrians' passion for academic titles has its origins in the Baroque hierarchies. The expression Baroque prince describes a particularly patriarchal and patronising politician who knows how to charm his audience with grand gestures. While political objectivity is valued in Germany, the style of Austrian politicians is theatrical, in keeping with the Austrian bon mot of "Schaumamal".

1669 is considered the official founding year of one of the most important institutions in Innsbruck's city history. On 15 October, Emperor Leopold I granted the Tyroleans the privilege of „Haller Salzaufschlags“, which made it possible to tax the coveted commodity more heavily and thus finance university operations. The university emerged from the Latin school, which had been founded by the Jesuits under Ferdinand I just over a hundred years earlier. The focus of the grammar school was on humanistic education. Latin and Greek were the main subjects taught. Academic books were still written in Latin in the early modern period. Latin was also a prerequisite for higher positions in the civil service. The university brought new educational opportunities to Innsbruck. The first faculty to start teaching was philosophy. Theology, law and medicine followed shortly afterwards. When Pope Innocent XI gave the university his blessing in 1677, it was already in full swing and students from Tyrol and other countries were flocking to Innsbruck. A degree programme usually lasted seven years before graduates were allowed to put a ring on their finger as a sign of their status as a doctor. Every student had to devote the first two years to philosophy before deciding on a specialisation. In addition to humanities lessons, there were church services, theatre performances, music-making and practical activities such as fencing and riding, which were essential in the life of an educated young man. 

But the university was more than just an educational institution. Students and professors changed the social fabric of the city. In the first decade after its foundation, almost 50 different intellectuals from all over the world taught philosophy in Innsbruck to over 300 students. At social events such as processions, delegations such as the Congregation of the Blessed Virgin, which was made up of members of the Jesuit-influenced university. The professors wore velvet coats that varied according to their specialism, while the students wore the swords they were allowed to carry. The academics also spoke German differently to the local population, and official business was usually conducted in Latin anyway. By 1665, Innsbruck had lost its status as a royal seat and thus its prestige and splendour. The university system made up for this demotion to some extent, preserving the aristocracy at least in the form of students. Work hard, play hard was also the motto back then. Everyday student life in the assembly hall and lecture theatres, which was strictly supervised by the professors, was broken up by a colourful mix of lively evening entertainment, excursions into the surrounding area of Innsbruck, music-making, church processions and theatre performances. The meeting of privileged young people with citizens, servants and craftsmen did not always run smoothly. Many sons of noble families were among the initial 300 students. Unlike the strictly and morally dressed inhabitants of Innsbruck, the young men appeared colourful and bold in the manner of medieval fops. They spoke to each other in a way that must have seemed completely ridiculous to the uninitiated. Despite their social standing, the students were often enough not aspiring model pupils, but young lads who were used to a certain lifestyle and status. In January 1674, for example, „nit allein zu nächtlicher Zeit sich Ungelegenheiten, Rumores und ungereimte Handlungen“ und es wurden „Studenten der Universität angetroffen, die allerlei verbotene Waffen wie Feuerrohr, Pistolen, Terzerol, Stilett, Säbel, Messer…“ had with them. Teenagers from the upper classes were used to carrying and using weapons. As in the military, breaches of honour could also lead to duels in student circles. Rioting was not uncommon, especially when combined with alcohol. 

The eccentric behaviour of the young men repeatedly led to bizarre problems among themselves and with the non-academic Innsbruck residents. For example, students were forbidden to drink to excess. If they did so in one of Innsbruck's pubs, the young offender was admonished. If he was unable or unwilling to pay the bill, the offending landlord could not file a complaint with the court, as it was forbidden to serve alcoholic beverages to the student body in excess. A separate legal system was needed to deal with the young elites. To a certain extent, students were subject to university law, which was separate from city law. In order to enforce the law, the rectorate set up its own force. The Scharwache was armed with halberds and was supposed to protect the Rumours the students as much as possible. Six men were on armed duty day and night to maintain order. The costs were shared between the city of Innsbruck and the university. There was also a separate Carcer, to keep offenders on bread and water. Imprisonment, fines and even expulsions could be imposed by the university. The state government only had to be called upon for blood judgements. 

The university has also been a political centre throughout its history. The name Leopold Franzens University goes back to the two emperors Leopold and Franz, under whom it was founded. Twice the university was downgraded to a lyceum or even abolished altogether. Emperor Josef II closed the doors, as did the Bavarian administration during the Napoleonic Wars. They were suspicious of the Jesuit-influenced students and professors and were banned from the education sector. Emperor Franz I, who had returned to the traditional Catholic line of the Habsburgs during the Restoration, re-founded the university in 1826. However, the university remained under surveillance even in Metternich's police state. In the Vormärz period, it was nationalist and liberal-minded forces that were feared. The secret state police were not only present in the lecture theatres, but also in other student circles in order to nip problematic ideas of young agitators in the bud as early as possible. 

Industrialisation and the new economic, political and social rules that came with it changed university life. In keeping with the spirit of the times, the opening speech by the Dean of the Faculty of Philosophy, Prof Dr Joachim Suppan (1794 - 1864), dealt with a practical problem of physics, namely „eine genauere Kenntnis der so wichtigen und nützlichen Erfindung der Dampfmaschine auch für die vaterländische Industrie, wo dieselbe bisher noch keine Anwendung hat" would be achieved. The fact that Supan was also an ordained priest in addition to his degrees in philosophy and mathematics shows the influence that the church had on the education system in the 19th century. Supan's final exhortation to the students shows how closely the university was linked to the state authorities alongside the church, „dereinst dem Vaterlande durch Kenntnis und Tugend ersprießliche Dienste zu leisten“. 

The nationality conflicts of the late monarchy were also reflected in university history. The 19th century was the age of associations, in the case of the university, student fraternities. In the case of Innsbruck, it was primarily problems between German-speaking and Italian-speaking students that repeatedly led to problems and culminated in the Fatti di Innsbruck found. Students with German nationalist leanings also played a major role at the university. Many of the young men had grown up in the Habsburg Empire and had served in the First World War. The young Republic of Austria was not in vogue among the young academics. Enthusiasm favoured fascist Italy, which seemed modern and dynamic, and later National Socialist Germany. With the annexation to the German Reich in 1938, the university was renamed once again. After the war, the German Alpine University again the Leopold Franzens University.

Like so many other things, the university was subject to the class mentality of its time. For a long time, women and sons of artisan families were not allowed to study at university. This only changed in the period after the monarchy. The first female doctorate in law at the university was not even celebrated until five years after the establishment of the republic. The press noted:

„Am kommenden Samstag wird an der Innsbrucker Universität Fräulein Mitzi Fischer zum Doktor iuris promoviert. Fräulein Fischer ist eine gebürtige Wienerin. In Wien absolvierte sie auch das Gymnasium. Nach der Reifeprüfung oblag sie dem juristischen Studium der Universität Innsbruck. Die zukünftige Doktorin hat sämtliche Prüfungen mit Auszeichnungen absolviert, müßte also nach dem früheren Brauche sub auspiciis imperatoris promovieren. Jedenfalls ist Fräulein Fischer die erste Dame, die sich an der Innsbrucker Universität den juristischen Doktortitel erwirbt.“

The students in Innsbruck behaved surprisingly calmly at the university during the turning years of 1848 and 1968. While in other European cities the students were the drivers of change, in Innsbruck they remained calm. In the late 1960s and 70s, there were individual groups such as the Communist Group Innsbruck, das Committee for Solidarity with Vietnam, the socialist VSStÖ or the liberal-Catholic Action Within the ÖH, there was no mass movement. While paving stones were flying in Paris, in Innsbruck people were content with boycotts and sit-ins. The vast majority of students came from the upper class and had completed their A-levels at a Catholic-orientated grammar school. Beethoven's wisdom that „As long as the Austrians still have brown beer and sausages, they won't revolt,“ was true. Only a few students were enthusiastic about solidarity with Vietnam, Mao Zedong and Fidel Castro. Who wanted to jeopardise their own career in a country dominated by the trinity of the Tyrolean daily newspaper, Bishop Paulus Rusch and the state parliament with an absolute majority of the ÖVP? Anyone who nevertheless dared to disseminate rebellious flyers or left-wing literature had to reckon with defamation in the media, a reprimand from the rectorate or even a visit from the state authorities. Professors, who in the 20th century often still exuded aloofness and the unapproachable aura of the early modern era or made little secret of their political views, were rarely criticised. Rather, the inadequate facilities in the modest lecture theatres were responsible for the ever-increasing number of students. The great change in the universities in Austria was not fought for, but chosen. Under Federal Chancellor Bruno Kreisky, tuition fees were abolished. Education became affordable and conceivable for a larger number of young people. As a result, the number of students at Austrian universities rose from 50,000 to over 73,000 between 1968 and 1974.

Despite all the adversities and curiosities over the centuries, the University of Innsbruck has generally enjoyed a very good reputation since its early days. In the 20th and 21st centuries, teaching staff and students repeatedly produced sensational achievements in research. Victor Franz Hess was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics for his achievements in cosmic ray research. Quantum physicist Anton Zeilinger also worked at the University of Innsbruck, although not in 2022 when he was awarded the prize. Professors Fritz Pregl, Adolf Windaus and Hans Fischer also received the Nobel Prize for Chemistry, although they too were no longer working in Innsbruck. The University Hospital performed very well in research and education as well as in the daily care of the city and is one of Innsbruck's flagships. 

The university is not only important for the city in intellectual and economic terms. 30,000 students populate and characterise life between the Nordkette and Patscherkofel mountains. The days when young aristocrats in colourful outfits would get rowdy at processions are over. They are now more likely to be found on the ski slopes and mountain bike trails. The biggest problem caused by the young ladies and gentlemen is not pogroms against non-German population groups. A large proportion of 21st century students themselves come from abroad and have been driving up prices on the housing market to record levels since the 1970s. In October 1972, the Hexenhaus, a vacant university property at Schöpfstraße 24, was occupied by a handful of students. Innsbruck is considered the most expensive provincial capital in terms of housing, and more than 50 years after the squatting, the vacancy of properties is still a pressing problem. You only realise how much the students enliven Innsbruck when the foreigners return home between semesters. Tens of thousands not only enliven the nightlife, but also give the small town an international flair and hip urbanity almost 400 years after it was founded.