Academy
of Fine
Arts
Founded in 1808 by Max I Joseph, since 1886 housed in Gottfried von Neureuther's Neo-Renaissance building at Akademiestraße 2/4. One of Europe's most important art academies — Kandinsky, Klee and Albers studied here; Franz von Stuck taught here.
Founded by Max I Joseph, built by Neureuther
Founded in 1808 as the Royal Bavarian Academy of Fine Arts. The present building at Akademiestraße 2/4 was erected 1874–1886 to designs by Gottfried von Neureuther in the style of the Italian Neo-Renaissance: monumental symmetry, a central light court, tall studio rooms with north light. The two equestrian sculptures in front of the entrance are by Hans Brandl.
Who passed through here
The list of alumni reads like a table of contents of Munich art history. Under the patronage of the influential Franz von Stuck, the 1900s saw Wassily Kandinsky, Paul Klee and later Josef Albers studying here. The Munich New Artists' Association, the forerunner of the Blaue Reiter, emerged from the Academy in 1909. Around 700 students study here today; the Academy remains one of the ten best art schools in Europe.
In pictures.
Dome and cherry blossom
Neureuther building in autumn light
Extension by Coop Himmelb(l)au
Old and new
Dioscuri riders in front of the portal
Façade detail
Photos: Thomas Prüm, 2025–2026
More in the
University Quarter.
The other buildings of the area — galleries, museums, classicism, industrial history.