Royal Music Institute of Berlin
The Königliches Musik-Institut Berlin was a training centre for musicians and a predecessor of today's Institute for Church Music at the Berlin University of the Arts.
History
The institute was founded in 1822 by Carl Friedrich Zelter and served to train organists, cantors and teachers at seminars and grammar schools. In the early years, the training usually only lasted one year, but could be extended to two years if necessary. The first teachers at the facility, which was popularly called the Organ Institute, were August Wilhelm Bach and Bernhard Klein. Carl Gottlieb Reissiger followed in 1825, followed soon after by Eduard Grell. Directors after Zelter's death were:- August Wilhelm Bach, 1832–1869,
- August Haupt, 1869–1891,
- Robert Radecke, 1892–1907,
- Hermann Kretzschmar, 1907–1922,
- Carl Thiel, 1922–1927,
- Hans Joachim Moser, 1927–1933.
- Fritz Stein, 1933–1934.
- Eugen Bieder, 1934–1945.
Institute for Church Music
After several relocations, the State Academy for Church and School Music found its final domicile at today's Ernst-Reuter-Platz in Hardenbergstraße 41 in Berlin-Charlottenburg, opposite the intersection of Schillerstraße. The building still exists in the area of Technische Universität Berlin and is part of the Berlin University of the Arts.On May 6, 2014, a one-and-a-half year renovation of the interior was completed.
Auditorium
The auditorium with the organ is located on the second floor in the rear part of the building and is accessible from the stairwell via an elaborately designed double door.The large organ is from the organ builder Karl Schuke and has a main work, swell, positive and pedal work with mechanical action and a total of 48 stops with electric action.
On the walls are three busts of the former directors Hermann Kretzschmar and Carl Thiel, and the choir director of the State and Cathedral Choir Berlin Hugo Rüdel.