Originally named "Freie Akademie für Erkennen und Gestalten", Merz Akademie was founded in 1918 by :de:Albrecht Leo Merz|Albrecht Leo Merz. It was intended to address the dehumanizing demands of the Machine Age. This multi-functional school had a workshop, a kindergarten, and a primary school. The curriculum was derived from a philosophy of education that combined holistic and Progressivism based approaches. Since its inception, Merz Akademie has offered applied arts, design, and media programs. Merz had a reformist vision of pedagogy, noting that the powers of intellect and intuition need to be developed together and equally. The school was closed for a brief period during World War II and was reopened in 1947. Merz Akademie has evolved into an institution of higher education, now offering accreditation for Bachelor's and Master's degree programs in areas of film, video, new media, and research. In 1985, three years after the academy was taken over by Markus Merz, Merz Akademie was granted state accreditation as a college of higher education, by the Ministry for Sciences and Art. The college, administered by the Merz Akademie gemeinnützige GmbH as a non-profit organization, was institutionally accredited by the German Council of Science and Humanities in 2008. This was followed by an accreditation for the Bachelor's program "Design, Art and Media" with the Pathways "Film and Video", "New Media", and "Visual Communication" as well as for the Master's degree program, "Knowledge Development in Design, Art, and Media." The university's president, Martin Fritz, was appointed in 2016 as a replacement for Markus Merz who served as president from 1985 to 2016.
Programs
The Bachelor of Arts offers the following major fields of study: Film and Video, New Media, Visual Communication, Cross-media publishing and Cultural Theory. Each major focuses on the design, art, and media aspects of these fields. The university also focuses on research, experimental studies, and integrating critical studies in design and art. The Master's program in Art, Design, and Media offers students research projects in the fields of film, video, design, art, new media, and a new theory oftechnical practices.
