Pestalozzi School

Pestalozzi School in Halle was one of the first special schools to be built in Germany. Commissioned by head of municipal planning Wilhelm Jost and designed by local architect Walter Engel, it is a prestigious example of functional brick architecture which combines traditional elements with the more Expressionist elements typical of the ‘New Building’ style. The side wings with their striking cylindrical staircase towers have long, bright corridors equipped with drinking fountains and space for two large classrooms on each floor. The central wing houses the admin rooms, a drawing studio, the gymnasium and a large assembly hall. The functional arrangement of space in Pestalozzi School makes it a prime example of modern school building in the Weimar Republic. The ceramic decorations of local sculptor Richard Horn are particularly impressive: 27 coloured figural reliefs adorn the façades of the round towers and the wall-mounted drinking fountains in the corridors. The highly original school clock was also designed by Richard Horn: twelve children in brightly painted glazed clay take the place of numbers. It was the first clock of its kind in Germany.