ADGB Trade Union School

The school was built to train administrators and leaders of the trade union movement in subjects such as labour law, industrial hygiene, management and economics. The complex included on-site accommodation and catering for both teaching staff and trainees, sports facilities and an outdoor swimming pool. == Architecture ==

Concept The complex is a classic example of functionalist architecture and reflects Meyer's philosophy that buildings should be focused on meeting their users' specific needs. In Meyer and Wittwer's building theory classes students were taught to scientifically analyse both the client's requirements and the site conditions. Students carried out environmental studies at the site, such as how the sunlight entering the buildings would change during the day. The buildings were designed to fit the topography of the site, the client's needs and to facilitate social interaction. Throughout the complex, the design of the windows, often large floor-to-ceiling in style which take advantage of the outdoor views, characterise the interiors, following on from the careful site analysis that was done as part of the design process. Unlike Walter Gropius’ Bauhaus Dessau building, which was designed entirely for visual and symbolic effect and could become a "sweatbox" in summer due to its large glass surfaces, the ADGB school was designed to avoid overheating by taking into account the sun's movement and changing angles. This was done to help navigation, as trainees were usually only there on short courses and didn't have much time to orientate themselves. The colours could also be used to group teams together for sports and other activities. There are also four teachers' residences and two one-storey semi-detached houses. Paths around the complex were designed to encourage trainees and teachers to get to know each other as they walked between the living and teaching areas of the school. The architectural historian Winfried Nerdinger described it as a "masterpiece of poetic functionalism". == Interior furnishings ==

Meyer wanted to draw in skills and ideas from every Bauhaus workshop, not just the building theory course. Students involved in the interior design of the ADGB Trade Union School came from the weaving, carpentry and metalwork workshops, including: This included simple but functional study desks. Margaretha Reichardt (1907–1984), who studied in the weaving workshop and later set up her own weaving business, designed textiles which were used in the furnishings of the school. == History ==

The school opened on 4 May 1930. It could accommodate 120 trainees in twin rooms. On 2 May 1933 the building was confiscated by the Nazis. Until the end of World War II it was used by the Reich Leadership School, for training leaders of the SS (Schutzstaffel), SD (Sicherheitsdienst) and Gestapo. In 1977 the GDR government bestowed historic monument status on both the Meyer/Wittwer architecture and the Waterstadt building, although only the Meyer/Wittwer complex is part of the Bauhaus World Heritage site. Prior to German reunification in October 1990, the FDGB was disestablished (May 1990). The school was closed in September 1990. The property of the former FDGB was initially managed by an asset management company which temporarily leased the complex to various organisations. From August 1991 it was leased long term to the State of Brandenburg for use as a school of public administration, which opened in January 1992 following renovation work. In 1996 the state government took over the complex and it remained vacant for sometime. In 2001 the Handwerkskammer Berlin (Berlin Chamber of Skilled Crafts) sub-leased the main historic building of the complex, the Meyer-Wittwer-Bau (Meyer Wittwer Building) to use as a training centre. The centre, known in German as the Internat des Bildungszentrums der Handwerkskammer Berlin, has been in operation since 2007 when the major renovation project was completed. == Restoration ==

In January 2001 the new lease holders, the Berlin Chamber of Skilled Crafts (Handwerkskammer Berlin), made a European-wide call for tenders for a redevelopment project, to restore Hannes Meyer's original architecture and to enable to building to be usable as a modern teaching facility. There were 102 responses with the contract awarded to Brenne Gesellschaft von Architekten in July 2001. ==See also==