Theory and practice are top priorities at Burg Giebichenstein
6 Jan. 2010 – Design is more than the implementation of an idea. Particularly significant in this connection are concept and craftsmanship. Both have to be learnt and are aspects of the course of study at Burg Giebichenstein, University for Art and Design, Halle.
It was back in 1915 that Paul Thiersch held the first classes for architecture and interior design in the craftsmen’s school of Halle in the German State of Saxony-Anhalt. Five years later, Thiersch’s former student, Johanna Wolff, began the first classes on textiles and hand weaving and this laid the foundation stone of the Design Faculty. Since then, almost a century has passed and there have been many changes and developments.
(Photo: © Bettina Göttke-Krogmann)
workshop at Burg Giebichenstein
(Photo: © Joachim Unterfrauner)
“Today, the Design Faculty alone has 13 departments, including interior architecture, communication design, textile and fashion design, multi-media design and design sciences”, says Matthias Götz, Professor for Design Sciences.
Götz is first and foremost a theoretician. Design theory, the psychology of design and the history of design and architecture are the subjects covered by his department. As he explains, “This broad theoretical and scientific approach to design teaching is a unique selling proposition that has proven to be a great asset for all concerned in relation to other design academies and in the context of an increasingly hard competitive environment.”
No less important than the theoretical is the practical side, a point to which Bettina Göttke-Krogmann draws attention. A trained weaver and professor for textile design, she says, “At Burg Giebichenstein, students make progress with their practical training because they receive instruction in our own workshops.
They weave, print and dye, and thus learn how to work with colours.” Göttke-Krogmann adds, “At the same time, they also learn how to think beyond the textiles themselves and to work on a conceptual basis, which gives them the foundation for taking on executive positions later.”
Discussing the university, both professors emphasise the atmosphere. “Burg Giebichenstein is a relatively small university where the emphasis is only teaching and learning oriented towards the individual”, says Götz and adds, “Within its two faculties, the university offers a disproportionately large number of disciplines.” Confirming this, Göttke-Krogmann adds, “The atmosphere here is very special. In this small town, the students are more present and they can work more intensively and with greater concentration.”
The reputation of Burg Giebichenstein is very much in line with this and the sentence, “Oh, you come from Burg Giebichenstein”, has a very positive connotation.
