The University Archives preserves historical evidence of teaching and administrative processes at the university and its predecessor institutions. As a central institution, the archive supports teaching, research, departments, and administration through research and the provision of archival materials. Furthermore, the archives are also available to interested individuals and institutions outside the university.
The historically developed art holdings of the Dresden Academy of Fine Arts and its predecessor institutions, the Academy of Fine Arts and the School of Applied Arts, are both an art collection and a document of contemporary history, having emerged over the centuries from the institution's teaching activities. The holdings also include donations from emeritus professors and former students.
News
Archive & collection
Collecting, Preserving, Researching: A Look into Dresden’s Archives
Published by the Dresden Historical Society, this issue focuses on Dresden’s archival landscape. The University Archive is also represented with an exceptionally interesting…
News
Caspar David Friedrich
On this day (January 17) 200 years ago, the painter Caspar David Friedrich was appointed extraordinary professor at the Dresden Academy by King Frederick Augustus I.
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Information and downloads for archive use
The Archive of the HfBK Dresden is located in the historic Academy building at the university site on Brühlsche Terrasse.
Before visiting in person, we recommend submitting a written request for initial information. Based on this request, we will determine whether and to what extent relevant materials are available in our holdings.
In many cases, your inquiry can be answered directly with the information provided. If further research is required, an in-person visit can be arranged by appointment.
Please use the forms and contact options provided below for this purpose.
Note: When making your request, please also consult the research options available in our overview of inventory.
After scheduling an appointment in advance, the most direct way to the archive is through the rear gate of the academy building, located opposite the Coselpalais. Please ring the intercom at the gate. The porter will then unlock the small iron door on the right. Push this door inward and follow the small path on the right side. This will lead you directly to the archive. Alternatively, you may use the main entrance on Brühl’s Terrace.
Inventory outside the University Archive
During the initial efforts after the war to organize the archive and make it accessible for use, it became necessary to transfer the older records (1763 – approx. 1900) to the Saxon State Archives, Main State Archive Dresden. This transfer took place over the course of the 1950s into the early 1960s. However, the transfer was not strictly chronological, which means that the University Archive also holds records dating from around 1881, and in some cases even earlier documents — such as the founding charter from 1763. Please also consult the following inventory overview of the Art Academy holdings in the Main State Archive Dresden.
Online Access to Historical Student Directories
Due to numerous inquiries, you will find here an overview of the historical matriculation registers and student lists, including information about the archive location and reference code. These records have been digitized and published on the Archivportal-D of the German Digital Library and on the website of the Main State Archive in Dresden.
For data protection reasons, only matriculation registers up to the winter semester of 1924 and student lists up to the winter term of 1933/34 are currently available in digital form. If a digital copy is available online, a corresponding link is provided. Please refer to the introductory guide to assist you in your research using this overview.
Please take into account the structural history of both predecessor institutions during your research, particularly their renaming over time:
- Royal Academy of Fine Arts (founded in 1764), from 1918: State Academy of Fine Arts
- Royal Saxon School of Applied Arts (founded in 1875), from 1920: State Academy of Applied Arts, 1945–47: State School of Applied Arts
- In 1950, the State School of Applied Arts and the State Academy of Fine Arts were merged to form the "Academy of Fine Arts Dresden".
For the sake of simplicity, the following overview of historical records uses the terms "Art Academy" and "School of Applied Arts".
Types of Registers:
- Art Academy: Matriculation registers, student lists
- School of Applied Arts: Student lists, reports on the School of Applied Arts (also containing student lists)
Admission of Women:
- School of Applied Arts: Women were first admitted in the 1906/07 school year. Initially, they were listed in a separate section titled "Female Students", following the "Male Students" section in the student lists. Starting with the 1923/24 school year, a unified list including both female and male students was introduced.
- Art Academy: Women were first admitted to study at the academy in the winter semester of 1919/20 and were from then on included in the general student lists.
