How the complex of buildings was used in history
1937 - 1945
(Quelle: Postkarte, UniA BS)
When the foundation stone was laid on March 19, 1935, the building complex was initially designated to become the new home of the Cultural Science Department of the Technische Hochschule Braunschweig. But while still in the planning stages, the building was rededicated to a new purpose; it was now to become an independent academy for teacher education. On March 23, 1937 the opening ceremony for the Bernhard-Rust-Hochschule was held. The building doubtlessly represented the late expressionist architecture of the Nazi-era, being completely in line with the official state architecture. The building did indeed cater to the interests of the national socialist politics, both as a place for teacher education, which was regarded as highly important, and as a propaganda building that attracted a lot of public attention.
After 1945
During WWII the building complex suffered only minor damage, and lectures were taken up again as early as November 1945. The academy was reopened as an academy for teacher education but was renamed Kant-Hochschule. It was the British military government and the City of Brunswick that decided on the new name and also issued the license necessary for the academy’s reestablishment.
After WWII the Kant-Hochschule became the first place in Brunswick not only to offer free university education. It furthermore became a vivid cultural centre after years of Nazi oppression. Starting from 1945, it was the city’s venue of choice for cultural events. From 1946 onward the Staatstheater used the gym as its new stage; festive events, lectures, readings, and musical events were held. A public lecture series starting November 16, 1946, dealt with “question of today,” already trying to come to terms with the then very recent past. The building complex of the Kant-Hochschule thus represents both a new intellectual and scientific beginning as well as a democratic restart of Brunswick and Lower Saxony after the war. Here, not only the first democratic state parliament met. The assembly hall was also chosen for the final meeting of the Brunswick Parliament, a meeting after which Brunswick officially became part of the newly founded Federal States of Lower Saxony. In 1978 both the building complex and the academy for teacher education itself became part of the TU Brunswick.