Podcast Summary: Le Cours de l'histoire – Le Moyen Âge y a déjà pensé : Les universités : nées au Moyen Âge… et déjà en grève ! Host: France Culture
Date: November 21, 2025

Episode Overview

This episode explores the medieval origins of the university and the surprising fact that organized student and faculty strikes—often considered a modern phenomenon—have roots in the Middle Ages. By recounting the first major university strike in Paris in 1229, the host reveals how core issues such as autonomy, negotiation power, and working conditions already existed centuries ago, shaping the university as an enduring institution.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Birth of the Medieval University: The Foundation and its Model

• Rapid Urban Growth and Demand for Education
  At the turn of the 12th and 13th centuries, European cities—especially Paris—expanded quickly, leading to a boom in demand for education. Masters and students began forming organized communities, modeled after trade guilds.

  "Au tournant des 12e et 13e siècles, les villes se développent rapidement. La demande d'enseignement grandit. Étudiants et maîtres commencent alors à se regrouper, d'abord de façon informelle, puis en véritable communauté structurée sur le modèle des corporations de métier." (A, 01:04)

• Papal Recognition and Autonomy
  The University of Paris gained official recognition by the Pope and, in 1215, adopted its first statutes—setting the stage for institutional autonomy but also tensions with other authorities.

2. The Spark: The 1229 Paris Strike

• The Mardi Gras Incident
  The trigger for the first mass university strike was surprisingly mundane: a dispute over wine prices in a Parisian tavern escalated into a major conflict.

  "Dans une taberne parisienne, une dispute éclate entre des étudiants et le tavernier à cause du prix du vin qui a flambé. La bagarre dégénère." (A, 02:01)

• Escalation and Tragedy
  The conflict turned violent, with contemporary chroniclers reporting dozens, even hundreds, of deaths, and bodies thrown into the Seine—a context far more dramatic than modern student protests.

3. Authority, Privilege, and the Church

• Clash with Civic and Ecclesiastical Power
  Both students and teachers at the university enjoyed ecclesiastical privilege—they were answerable only to church courts. The heavy-handed response from civic authorities was viewed as a violation of these rights.

  "Problème, l'université est sous l'autorité de l'église. Les étudiants et les maîtres… dépendent du droit ecclésiastique. Seuls les tribunaux de l'église peuvent les juger." (A, 03:00)

• The Strike—‘Quesatio’ or ‘Cesatio’
  In response, the entire university entered a general strike, suspending all teaching activities. This was a powerful negotiation tool, as the economic and intellectual life of Paris was strongly impacted.

4. Consequences and Long-Term Impact

• Paris Loses Its University
  With teaching and learning halted, teachers and students left Paris for other regions, benefiting other European towns that welcomed them.

  "Les maîtres et les étudiants qui veulent continuer d'enseigner et d'étudier quittent la ville. Les autorités européennes en bénéficient car elles les accueillent." (A, 04:00)

• Economic Fallout
  The university’s absence dealt a severe blow to the local economy, particularly the Latin Quarter.

• Intervention and Legacy
  After two years, Pope Gregory IX—influenced in part by his own experience as a student in Paris—issued the bull Parens Scientiarum in 1231, granting the university significant autonomy and recognizing the right to strike in certain circumstances.

  "Le pape Grégoire IX, lui-même ancien étudiant de Paris, intervient… Il émane un important décret… qui reconnaît officiellement une grande autonomie à l'université et légitime la grève dans certains cas." (A, 05:10)

5. The Medieval University: Power, Mobility, and Influence

• Strengthened Negotiation Power
  With autonomy secured, universities grew stronger, bringing together thousands of students from across Europe, well before the Erasmus program or other modern exchange schemes.

• A Lasting Heritage
  The university remains one of the most significant medieval institutions still shaping contemporary society. The methods, priorities, and even some of the struggles echo through the ages.

Notable Quotes and Memorable Moments

• Striking for Rights—Then and Now

  "Derrière les mouvements contemporains, on retrouve les mêmes idées. Préserver une certaine autonomie, négocier avec le pouvoir, défendre les conditions de travail et d'apprentissage." (A, 06:16)

• On the Lasting Impact of Medieval Strikes

  "Mais avouer que le Moyen-Âge, lui, ne plaisantait pas avec les grèves. Deux ans sans cours et dire que tout avait commencé parce que le vin était trop cher." (A, 06:42)

Segment Timestamps

• [00:00–01:10] Introduction: The first big university strike—set in Paris, 1229
• [01:10–02:50] Formation of the university and early tensions
• [02:51–03:45] The Mardi Gras tavern fight and violent escalation
• [03:46–04:30] Legal conflict and strike declaration (cesatio)
• [04:31–05:15] Exodus and economic impact on Paris
• [05:16–06:00] Papal intervention: Parens Scientiarum and autonomy
• [06:01–07:00] Universities’ new power, scale, and international student body; the echoes to today

Conclusion

This episode vividly illustrates that the university’s DNA—its pursuit for autonomy, its role in social change, and even student activism—goes back to the Middle Ages. The host artfully connects this historical legacy to modern academic life, showing that many of the issues under debate today have deep medieval roots, proving the podcast’s central theme: our close, often surprising, connection to the past.