The University is taken to have been founded in 1167, and the oldest buildings today date from around 100 years later. It was then that the first colleges - Balliol, Merton and University College - were founded after tension and bloody rioting between academics and the townsfolk.
In the 12th and 13th centuries Oxford was a manufacturing town, noted for its cloth and leather. However, by the 14th century manufacturing was in decline and the local economy came to depend increasingly on the
By the mid 16th century the population had fallen to 3500 and Oxford's importance had further declined. Nonetheless, in 1542 the town was granted city status and given a bishop in the reign of Henry VIII. His dissolution of the religious institutions in Oxford allowed the foundation of more colleges, such as Christ Church, Trinity, St John's and Worcester, which were all built on the sites of former religious houses.
Civil War and Modernisation
With the outbreak of the Civil War between the Crown and Parliament, Charles I made Oxford his headquarters in 1642, although he eventually had to flee in disguise when the city fell to the parliamentary forces. In 1651 the first coffee house in England was opened on the High Street, where the Queen's Lane Coffee Shop now stands.
The 17th century also saw the refounding of the University Library (the Bodleian) in its present design, and the construction of the Sheldonian Theate on Broad Street. Modernisation flourished into the 18th century. In this period the Covered Markets were built and the construction of Magdalen Bridge was completed.
Growth and Industrialisation
With the railway from London reaching Oxford in 1844 and the main London-Midlands canal growing in importance, the city's population increased from 12,000 to over 49,000 in the 19th century. This brought an increase in housing construction, although the economy was still largely geared towards supplying the University.
That changed in 1913 when a man named Morris started making motorbikes and cars in the city. As a result of the supporting trades, Oxford was an important manufacturing centre by the 1930s. At the same time another 10 colleges were founded, and all the institutions accepted women as students with equal status.
Oxford Today
Today Oxford has around 120,000 inhabitants and 16,000 students, with the city centre dominated by the University. Important sights include the Bodleian Library, Sheldonian Theatre, St Mary's Church, Carfax Tower and the buildings, chapels and halls of the 39 colleges. Several important museums are also worth a visit, including the Ashmolean Museum, Pitt Rivers Museum and the Museum of of Natural History. Don't forget to visit the splendid Botanical Gardens and University Parks, or to go down to the river.
OxIMUN participants have the opportunity to take a walking tour of Oxford - please see the Entertainment page for more information.
For additional material on Oxford, please visit the Oxford Tourist Board.