 It housed a "studium generale" attended by students who aspired to go on to study at Oxford, Cambridge or one of the major continental European universities.It incorporate a school and a library which were attended not only by English people but by foreigners resident in London, notably the Italians and Germans.It was not uncommon for foreign friars to come to study at Austin Friars and then stay on, to preach and hear confessions for their countrymen in London.