ADGB Trade Union School Bernau

The Federal School of the General German Trade Union Confederation (ADGB) in Bernau, or ADGB Trade Union School for short, is one of the most important works created under the direction of the second Bauhaus director, Hannes Meyer. It is considered a highlight of functionalist architecture and ranks as one of the world’s largest Bauhaus ensembles. Built in 1928–30 and still used today, the centre for training and continuing education received UNESCO World Heritage status in 2017.

In 1928 the design by Hannes Meyer and Hans Wittwer, Meyer’s right-hand man at the Bauhaus Dessau, emerged as the winner of an architectural competition held by the ADGB. The unique school and dormitory complex was completed by 1930 with the aid of students from the Bauhaus. In Bernau, however, visitors should not expect bright white buildings like those known from Dessau. For the façade, Meyer used not only glass and steel, but also exposed brick without plaster.

The building complex’s merger of form and functionality is truly impressive. The architecture reflects the socio-pedagogical concept of living and learning in small groups as a means of promoting the collective whole. All the habitable spaces are oriented to the surrounding landscape. The auditorium and the dining hall, with its glass veranda and unobstructed views of nature, are accommodated in a main building anchoring the complex. From there, five residential wings descend the hillside to a building with the library, sports hall and classrooms. Everything is connected via a long glass corridor.

More than 4,000 trade unionists attended the courses offered there until the fascists seized power. Here they also become acquainted with the amenities of modern living, with oil-fired heating, washbasins in the rooms and furniture from the Bauhaus workshops in Dessau. The large windows in the double rooms were unusual and offered views of nature.

In 1933 the National Socialists took over the school. The complex was expanded in the 1950s and has been listed as a historic monument since the 1970s. The main building of the complex is used today by the Berlin Chamber of Crafts as a boarding school. Guided tours offer the opportunity to view the buildings from inside.

[KL/DK]