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History of the Department

The University of Innsbruck Department of Music was founded in the winter semester of 1925/1926 when the study and teaching materials library for music was transformed into an academic department with teaching and research positions. After the establishment of the Department of Music at the University of Vienna in 1898, this was the first subject-specific chair in the federal states. The first director was Rudolf von Ficker, who had been organizing and offering music-related courses as part of the Historical Seminar since 1920; he was followed by Wilhelm Fischer from 1931-1938, Wilhelm Ehmann from 1940-1945, again Wilhelm Fischer from 1948-1957, Hans von Zingerle from 1957-1970, Walter Salmen from 1973-1992, Tilman Seebaß from 1993-2007, Monika Fink from 2008-2013, Federico since March 2013 Celestini. Research and teaching during the first decades were preferentially based on methods and principles developed by Guido Adler.
 

During the Nazi era there was an increased orientation towards the political-ideological leanings of those in power. It was only with the return of Wilhelm Fischer in 1948 that the substantial activities of the pre-war times could be independently resumed. Today the Department is located in the newly renovated rooms of the Canisianum, a Jesuit theological college, with adjacent gardens.