Merz Akademie is a

non-profit A nonprofit organization (NPO) or non-profit organisation, also known as a non-business entity, not-for-profit organization, or nonprofit institution, is a legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public or social benefit, in co ...

university A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, t ...

art Art is a diverse range of human activity, and resulting product, that involves creative or imaginative talent expressive of technical proficiency, beauty, emotional power, or conceptual ideas. There is no generally agreed definition of wha ...

design A design is a plan or specification for the construction of an object or system or for the implementation of an activity or process or the result of that plan or specification in the form of a prototype, product, or process. The verb ''to design'' ...

, and

media Media may refer to: Communication * Media (communication), tools used to deliver information or data ** Advertising media, various media, content, buying and placement for advertising ** Broadcast media, communications delivered over mass el ...

, located in the Berg Kulturpark of

Stuttgart Stuttgart (; Swabian: ; ) is the capital and largest city of the German state of Baden-Württemberg. It is located on the Neckar river in a fertile valley known as the ''Stuttgarter Kessel'' (Stuttgart Cauldron) and lies an hour from the ...

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

and was established in 1985. Its roots lie in the "Free Academy for Recognition and Design" founded in 1918 by reformist pedagogue Albrecht Leo Merz. Under the direction of Markus Merz,

University Rector A rector (Latin for 'ruler') is a senior official in an educational institution, and can refer to an official in either a university or a secondary school. Outside the English-speaking world the rector is often the most senior official in a un ...

from 1983 to 2016, the facility received state recognition in 1985. Martin Fritz took over as Rector from 2016 to October 2020, with Maren Schmohl leading the school until in 2023, Barbara M. Eggert took over the position of Rector.

History

Originally named ''Freie Akademie für Erkennen und Gestalten'' (Free Academy for Recognition and Design), Merz Akademie was founded in 1918 by Albrecht Leo Merz to resolve the lack of positive human qualities that emerged from the

Machine Age The Machine Age is an era that includes the early-to-mid 20th century, sometimes also including the late 19th century. An approximate dating would be about 1880 to 1945. Considered to be at its peak in the time between the World War I, first a ...

. This multi-functional

school A school is an educational institution designed to provide learning spaces and learning environments for the teaching of students under the direction of teachers. Most countries have systems of formal education, which is sometimes compuls ...

had a

workshop Beginning with the Industrial Revolution era, a workshop may be a room, rooms or building which provides both the area and tools (or machinery) that may be required for the manufacture or repair of manufactured goods. Workshops were the only ...

, a

kindergarten Kindergarten is a preschool educational approach based on playing, singing, practical activities such as drawing, and social interaction as part of the transition from home to school. Such institutions were originally made in the late 18th cent ...

, and a

primary school A primary school (in Ireland, the United Kingdom, Australia, Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica, and South Africa), junior school (in Australia), elementary school or grade school (in North America and the Philippines) is a school for primary e ...

. It has been offering applied arts,

architecture Architecture is the art and technique of designing and building, as distinguished from the skills associated with construction. It is both the process and the product of sketching, conceiving, planning, designing, and constructing building ...

and media program since its inception.4icu.org
accreditation reference The curriculum combined

holistic Holism () is the idea that various systems (e.g. physical, biological, social) should be viewed as wholes, not merely as a collection of parts. The term "holism" was coined by Jan Smuts in his 1926 book ''Holism and Evolution''."holism, n." OED Onl ...

and

Progressivism Progressivism holds that it is possible to improve human societies through political action. As a political movement, progressivism seeks to advance the human condition through social reform based on purported advancements in science, tec ...

-based approaches. It has a reformist understanding of

pedagogy Pedagogy (), most commonly understood as the approach to teaching, is the theory and practice of learning, and how this process influences, and is influenced by, the social, political and psychological development of learners. Pedagogy, taken as ...

, noting the importance of cultivating the forces of intellect and intuition equally. The school closed down during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

but reopened in 1947. Furthermore, the Merz Akademie is now a higher education institution, offering accreditation in the fields of film, video, emerging media and research for Bachelors and master's degree programs. In 1985, three years after Markus Merz took over at the academy, Merz Akademie was granted state accreditation by the Ministry of Science and Art as a college of higher education (Fachhochschule). Under the management of the Merz Akademie Gemeinnützige, the college GmbH, a

non-profit organization A nonprofit organization (NPO) or non-profit organisation, also known as a non-business entity, not-for-profit organization, or nonprofit institution, is a legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public or social benefit, in co ...

, was institutionally accredited by the

German Council of Science and Humanities The ''Wissenschaftsrat'' (''WR''; German Science and Humanities Council) is an advisory body to the German Federal Government and the state (''Länder'') governments. It makes recommendations on the development of science, research, and the univers ...

in 2008. This was followed by accreditation for the "Design, Art and Media" Bachelor's program, which included specializations in "Film and Video", "New Media" and "Visual Communication", as well as for the "Information Creation in Design, Art, and Media" Master's degree program.

Accreditation

Run by Merz Akademie gGmbH as a non-profit organization, the university was institutionally accredited by the Science Council in 2008 and 2015, followed by course accreditations for Bachelor and Master courses. Since 2011, the university has been named Merz Akademie, University of Design, Art and Media, Stuttgart.

Programs

Merz Akademie offers Bachelor of Arts degree programs in Film and Video,

New Media New media describes communication technologies that enable or enhance interaction between users as well as interaction between users and content. In the middle of the 1990s, the phrase "new media" became widely used as part of a sales pitch for ...

, Visual Communication, Cross-media publishing, and

Cultural Theory Cultural studies is an interdisciplinary field that examines the political dynamics of contemporary culture (including popular culture) and its historical foundations. Cultural studies researchers generally investigate how cultural practices re ...

. Each major focuses on the design, art, and media aspects of these fields. The university also focuses on research, experimental studies, and integrating analytical studies in design and art. The Master's program in Art, Design and Media offers students a chance to conduct research projects in the fields of

film A film also called a movie, motion picture, moving picture, picture, photoplay or (slang) flick is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, feelings, beauty, or atmosphere ...

video Video is an electronic medium for the recording, copying, playback, broadcasting, and display of moving visual media. Video was first developed for mechanical television systems, which were quickly replaced by cathode-ray tube (CRT) syste ...

new media New media describes communication technologies that enable or enhance interaction between users as well as interaction between users and content. In the middle of the 1990s, the phrase "new media" became widely used as part of a sales pitch for ...

, and contemporary methods of technical practices.

Fields of study

* Cross-media publishing *

Film A film also called a movie, motion picture, moving picture, picture, photoplay or (slang) flick is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, feelings, beauty, or atmosphere ...

and

Video Video is an electronic medium for the recording, copying, playback, broadcasting, and display of moving visual media. Video was first developed for mechanical television systems, which were quickly replaced by cathode-ray tube (CRT) syste ...

* Visual Communication * Theory of technical practices *

Master of Arts A Master of Arts ( la, Magister Artium or ''Artium Magister''; abbreviated MA, M.A., AM, or A.M.) is the holder of a master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is usually contrasted with that of Master of Science. Tho ...

- Artistic Research in Design, Art, and Media

Publishing

Together with Wilhelm Fink Verlag, the Merz Akademie regularly publishes academic research papers and graduate theses.

References

{{Authority control Film schools in Germany Art schools in Germany Design schools in Germany