The University of Art and Design Linz (Art University Linz) has its institutional and programmatic roots in the Art School of the City of Linz, founded in 1947, which was elevated to a university in 1998. The foundation was an expression of the conscious cultural-political demarcation of the previous Nazi period. This is particularly evident by the emphasis on the fundamental values of freedom from art and research, the commitment to artistic modernity and contemporary art creation, and the positioning of the new institution in the field of tension between artistic and applied business-oriented design. These values continue to form the basis for the fundamental self-image of the University of Art and Design Linz.
