The Lviv University Ivan Franko National University of L'viv Львівський національний університет імені Івана Франка, L’vivs’kyy natsional’nyy universytet imeni Ivana Franka was founded in 1661.
It is the oldest continuously operating university in Ukraine Україна.
The University was founded when the King John II Casimir of Poland issued the diploma granting the city's Jesuit Collegium, founded in 1608, "the honour of the Academy and the title of the University".
In 1772, Lviv was annexed by Austria and the Society of Jesus was dissolved by the government in Wien.
The school was renamed into Theresianum, i.e. State Academy.
Twelve years later, Emperor Joseph II officially granted it a university status, with four departments - theology, philosophy, law and medicine.
Most professors of the University were German or Germanized members of nations of the Empire.
From 1919 until September 1939, in the Polish Second Republic era, the university was known as Uniwersytet Jana Kazimierza John Casimir University, in honor of its founder.