Vocational Training of Railway Transport Specialists in Western Ukraine at the Time of the Austro-Hungarian Empire Governing (the second half of the XIX - beginning of the XX century)

У статті проведено аналіз історичного досвіду підготовки фахівців для залізничної галузі в Західній Україні за часів Австро-Угорської доби у другій половині ХІХ - на початку ХХ століття, визначено роль і місце «Цісарсько-королівської політехнічної школи» (зараз Національний університет «Львівська політехніка») у системі вищої технічної освіти Європи. Досліджено етапи розвитку Львівської політехніки як етапи формування навчальної бази з підготовки фахівців для залізничної галузі. Доведено, що в Західній Україні Львівська Політехнічна школа стала центром з підготовки інженерів залізничного транспорту, яка здійснювалася на окремому факультеті інженерії й частково на інших факультетах закладу.In the article the analysis of historical experience of vocational training specialists for the railway branch in Western Ukraine at the time of the Austro-Hungarian Empire governing in the second half of nineteenth - beginning of the twentieth century is done. The role and place of the Cesar's-Royal Polytechnic School (nowadays National University "Lviv Polytechnic") in the system of higher technical education in Europe is defined. It is established that in Galicia technical education developed by the European model, was based on the requirements of the region. This is a higher technical educational establishment that was created on the model of the leading Western higher polytechnic schools. It is the first and the oldest educational establishment of this type in Ukraine. It trained engineers of various technical specialties and was subordinated to the Ministry of Education. The training at Cesar's-Royal Polytechnic School was conducted at four faculties: Engineering Faculty, Architecture Faculty, Machine-building Faculty and Technical Chemistry Faculty on a free basis. The training was carried out in Polish from 1871. The stages of Lviv Polytechnic National University development as the stages of the educational base formation of the specialists' vocational training for the railway branch are researched. The curriculum and other important documents at different stages of the Cesar's-Royal Polytechnic School development are analysed. It is proved that in the second half of the XIX - beginning of the XX century in Western Ukraine Lviv Polytechnic School became the centre of specialists' vocational training for the railway transport engineers. This vocational training was carried out at the separate Engineering Faculty and partly at other faculties and departments such as Mechanical Faculty. The high status of National University "Lviv Polytechnic" and its significance for other higher education institutions of the country highlights the fact that at the stages of its formation it was involved in the creation of famous universities and academies in Lviv and Ukraine