Palacký University in Olomouc is the second oldest university in the Czech Republic. It dates back to 1573, when the former Jesuit college received privileges comparable to other European universities, granted by the Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian II. At the dawn of its history, the university consisted of two faculties which provided education in liberal arts and theology. The university was also recognized outside the Czech Republic, and its scope extended from Moravia and Silesia through Poland, Hungary and Austria to Germany, Scandinavia and Eastern Europe. The Thirty Years‘ War (1618-1648) marked one of the darkest periods in the history of Olomouc. The city was occupied by the Swedish army for eight years. After the departure of the Swedish troops, the university began to flourish. The Jesuits began an extensive building program, creating a number of impressive Baroque buildings for the order and the university itself. Many scientific disciplines were successfully taught at the university.

The development of the university was hampered by the suppression of the Jesuit order at the end of the 18th century. The university turned into a secular institution run by the state. Its status was reduced to a three-year lyceum when the emperor decided to retain universities only in Vienna, Prague and Lviv. The study of medicine and surgery became a separate field.

The return to full university status came in 1827. After 1848, growing government intolerance led to the gradual closure of faculties, until, in 1860, Emperor Francis Joseph I closed practically the entire university. Only the separate Faculty of Theology remained open. Olomouc University was then restored in 1946 as the Palacký University named after the historian František Palacký. This was the beginning of the modern era and development of the university, which currently has 8 faculties and approximately 22,000 students.