Lviv Polytechnic National University (Націона́льний університе́т «Льві́вська політе́хніка») is the largest scientific university in Lviv, Ukraine. Since its foundation in 1816, it has been one of the most important centres of science and technological development in Central Europe. In the interbellum period, the Polytechnic was one of the most important technical colleges in Poland, together with the Warsaw Polytechnic. In 2020, Lviv Polytechnic was ranked globally among the top 1000 universities according to Times Higher Education. As of 2019, there were approximately 35,000 students in the university. The history of the Lviv Polytechnic National University begins during the Austrian Empire, and extends through the Second Polish Republic, the Nazi Occupation, the Soviet Union, and into independent Ukraine. On 7 March 1816, the Imperial-Royal Real School was opened in Lemberg (Lviv). A technical school was established with the help of the newly introduced local industrial tax. In the curricula of the Imperial-Royal School, the main focus was assigned to the subjects of the natural-mathematical cycle, drawing, drawing and the study of new modern languages. The educational process was based on German educational programs that were adapted to local requirements. The newly created School was housed in a beautiful building at number 20 on the then-current Pekarska Street (now Virmenska). In 1825, according to the Royal Decree of the Austrian Emperor Franz I, the three-level Imperial-Royal Real School was reorganised into the Imperial-Royal School of Technical Sciences and Trade in Lviv. In 1835, the School of Technical Sciences and Trade turned into the Imperial-Royal Real-Trade Academy in Lviv. Here in 1841 the technical faculty was opened. In 1844, in the house of Darovskogo, on the present Armenian street, 2, the Imperial-Royal Technical Academy was opened in Lviv with technical and trade departments (faculties). It was one of the first academic technical schools in Europe and the first in Ukraine.