70190 Stuttgart
Germany
Merz Akademie, a non-profit, nationally accredited university for applied art, design and media was founded in 1918. In answer to the dehumanizing demands of the machine-age, its founder, Albrecht Leo Merz, offered a reformist vision of pedagogy which sought to integrate craft and cognition in order to empower craftsmen and -women. Closed by the Nazis, it re-opened shortly after WWII and has since developed into a renowned institution of higher education offering accredited Bachelor and Master programs in the areas of Crossmedia Publishing, Film and Video, Visual Communication and New Media as well as engaging in diverse research and publication activities. Proud of its holistic tradition the university’s mission statement has evolved to fit the age of information and digitalization. With a strong interest in the disciplines of the humanities, social and cultural studies, design, art, and technology, Merz Akademie positions itself between a classical art academy, a technical college, and a department of humanities. It aims to facilitate the professional and academic education of design-authors who are prepared not only to fulfil but also to define the requirements of an ever changing professional field.