A primitiva Faculdade de Letras do Porto e a Universidade de Coimbra

Abstract

A criação da Faculdade de Letras do Porto prende-se à questão académica que marcou a Universidade de Coimbra após a queda da monarquia do Norte. Primeiro, o Governo republicano sujeitou a sindicância quatro professores de Direito apodados de inimigos do regime, processo de que nada resultou. Depois, o ministro Leonardo Coimbra reformou o ensino da Filosofia e nomeou professores da especialidade para a Faculdade de Letras de Coimbra, sem a consultar. Houve reacção do Conselho Escolar apoiada pelos estudantes. Como retaliação, o ministro encerrou tal Faculdade e criou outra na Universidade do Porto, razão de fortíssima reacção universitária e nacional. O Governo seguinte, propôs e obteve do Parlamento a manutenção das duas Faculdades. Para a Porto, o Governo nomeou professores por decreto que, anos depois, se graduaram em Conselho Escolar, conforme a lei permitia, no grau de Doutor. Leonardo e alguns dos colegas, obreiros do movimento democrático e cultural Renascença Portuguesa e da revista Águia que por si justificam a criação da nova Faculdade, defenderam o repto e marcaram pela originalidade. A Escola viveu com dificuldades, contou com opositores anti-democráticos, positivistas e racionalistas, e de sectores da cidade e da sua Universidade. A ditadura extingue-a em 1928.

The creation of the Faculty of Letters in Oporto is linked to the academic issue that marked the University of Coimbra after the fall of the so-called ‘Monarquia do Norte’ (Northern Monarchy). First, the Republican government ordered an enquiry into four law professors told to be enemies of the regime, a process from which nothing came out. Afterwards, Public Instruction Minister Leonardo Coimbra reformed the teaching of Philosophy and appointed professors for the Faculty of Arts of Coimbra without consulting the faculty, which caused a strong reaction from the Faculty Council with support of the students. The minister retaliated by closing that Faculty and creating a new one in the university of Oporto, thus provoking a huge opposition both at university and national level. The following Government proposed and obtained from Parliament the continuation of the two Faculties. For Oporto, the Government appointed teachers by decree who, years later, were awarded the degree of doctor by the School Council, as the law allowed. Leonardo and some of his colleagues, responsible for the democratic and cultural movement named Renascença Portuguesa as well as for the journal Águia – a deed that, for itself, justified the foundation of the new Faculty – faced the challenge and became outstanding for their originality. The Faculty went through difficulties, had anti-democratic, positivist and rationalist opponents, some of them from its own city and university. The Ditadura Nacional (National Dictatorship) terminated it in 1928.