Profile of the Institute

From antiquity right up to medieval times, the Greek term 'techne' was understood as the craftsmanship necessary to produce musical, sculptural and pictorial works. In the literal sense, a ‘Technical University', is therefore an institution that teaches craftsmanship and art in a comprehensive manner. The meaning of the word has shifted over the course of the centuries, but a technical university remains a suitable place for the arts to be established. Both theoretical and practical education in the different artistic areas have long traditions at TU Dresden and its predecessors.

Today, at the Institute of Art and Music, three different subjects can be studied: art history, art education, and musicology.
Since 2007, art education has been offered as a consecutive bachelor's/master's teacher training programme, conveying contemporary art and education processes, whereas the bachelor's/master's programmes in art history and musicology are mainly research-oriented.

A special feature of Dresden's Institute is the close cooperation between the subjects mentioned, which at other locations are often separated between different institutes. In all of the study programmes, special emphasis is placed not just on the theoretical and historical fundamentals but also on practical knowledge. Cooperations with local institutions and practitioners of the respective subjects are necessary prerequisites for this practical approach.

The Art History department maintains a close relationship with the Dresden State Art Collections (Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden), the Saxon Regional Office for Historic Preservation (Landesamt für Denkmalpflege) and the Saxon Castles Office (Staatliche Schlösserverwaltung). The Department of Musicology maintains contact with the Saxon State Opera (Sächsische Staatsoper), with Hellerau – European Centre for the Arts, as well as with the Saxon Education and Trial Channel Dresden (Ausbildungs- und Erprobungskanal Dresden). The Department of Art Education is collaborating with schools, artists, and galleries in Dresden. In music education, collaborations exist with the BIP Creativity School Dresden (BIP Kreativitätsschule Dresden) and the Association of German School Musicians (Verband deutscher Schulmusiker).

For all of these subjects, the cultural city of Dresden offers a wide range of opportunities, while, at the same time, members of our Institute are actively shaping these offers. Therefore, both historic and modern art and music are equally the focus of the Institute of Art and Music.