European Academy of Fine Arts Trier

The Europäische Kunstakademie Trier (EKA), also known under the name Europäische Akademie für Bildende Kunst Trier, is a non-profit fine-arts academy in Trier, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It was founded in 1977 by Professor Erich Kraemer and is organised as a non-profit registered association (eingetragener Verein). The academy is housed in the buildings of the former Trier slaughterhouse in the Trier-West district, directly on the Moselle river, and operates more than 3,000 square metres of studio and workshop space. Rather than a degree-granting university, the EKA is an open art school. Its core business is a broad course programme in painting, drawing, watercolour, etching, screen printing, woodcut, stone sculpture, wood sculpture, clay and plaster work, sculpture, analogue and digital photography, and portfolio preparation for study applicants. Courses run from February to November and are taught by more than 60 lecturers from Germany and other European countries in around 170 courses per year, spread across 18 studios and workshops. The academy explicitly welcomes ambitious hobby artists, graphic designers, painters, freelance artists, prospective students and career changers, from beginners to advanced practitioners. Since 2010 the academy has also offered a six-semester art study programme (Kunststudium), which has become a distinctive part of its portfolio and is aimed at long-standing course participants and other art-interested people seeking sustained artistic development. In addition, the EKA runs workshops for school trips, art associations and other groups, and hosts exhibitions, art-history lectures and concerts. Its exhibition arm, the Kunsthalle Trier, presents changing shows such as the 2026 group exhibition 'POPAiR SHOW – structures of resonance'. The academy also runs 'le filou', a youth art school in Trier offering courses, workshops and holiday programmes for young people. The academy is governed by a supporting association whose chair is the city of Trier's councillor responsible for culture. Further members include the University of Trier, Trier University of Applied Sciences, the Trier-Saarburg district, the Trier Chamber of Industry and Commerce, the Trier Chamber of Crafts, the Gesellschaft für Bildende Kunst e.V., the City of Trier and Sparkasse Trier. It receives public and philanthropic support from the state of Rhineland-Palatinate, the City of Trier, the Nikolaus-Koch-Stiftung and the Förderkreis Europäische Kunstakademie e.V. It cooperates with the University of Trier, Trier University of Applied Sciences, the Institute for Teacher Further and Continuing Education in Speyer and TCU in Fort Worth, USA. Leadership has changed rarely: Dr. Gabriele Lohberg directed the academy from 1996 to 2020, and Simon Santschi has been its director since February 2020. The academy's guiding principle, formulated by founder Erich Kraemer, is 'Kunst durch Kenntnis' – art through knowledge. In 2027 the institution will mark its 50th anniversary, promoted under the banner '1977 – 2027: 50 Jahre Europäische Kunstakademie in Trier'.

The Europäische Kunstakademie Trier was founded in 1977 by Professor Erich Kraemer as a non-profit registered association and an artistic training institution. It is located in Trier-West, in the buildings of the former Trier slaughterhouse, directly on the Moselle. From its beginnings the academy pursued Kraemer's guiding principle 'Kunst durch Kenntnis' – art through knowledge – and positioned itself as a place of international artistic encounter rather than a conventional degree-granting art school. Over the decades the academy built a broad, open course programme. By the 2010s it was offering instruction in painting, drawing, watercolour, etching, screen printing, woodcut, stone sculpture, wood sculpture, clay and plaster work, sculpture, analogue and digital photography, and portfolio preparation for study applicants, taught by more than 60 lecturers from Germany and other European countries in around 170 courses per year across 18 studios and workshops. Courses run from February to November, and the academy also organises workshops for school trips, art associations and other groups, alongside exhibitions, art-history lectures and concerts. A significant development came in 2010 with the introduction of the six-semester Kunststudium art study programme. This gave long-standing course participants and other art-interested people a structured route to sustained artistic development, and it has since acquired a special place in the academy's programme. Leadership of the academy has been notably stable. Dr. Gabriele Lohberg served as director from 1996 to 2020, a period of roughly a quarter of a century. In February 2020 Simon Santschi took over as director, with Simone Leyk as deputy director. The academy's exhibition activities are concentrated in the Kunsthalle Trier, which presents changing shows; in September 2026 it hosted the group exhibition 'POPAiR SHOW – structures of resonance'. The academy also runs 'le filou', the youth art school Trier, offering courses, workshops and holiday programmes for young people. The institution is governed by a supporting association whose chair is the city of Trier's councillor responsible for culture. Its members include the University of Trier, Trier University of Applied Sciences, the Trier-Saarburg district, the Trier Chamber of Industry and Commerce, the Trier Chamber of Crafts, the Gesellschaft für Bildende Kunst e.V., the City of Trier and Sparkasse Trier. Funding comes from the state of Rhineland-Palatinate, the City of Trier, the Nikolaus-Koch-Stiftung and the Förderkreis Europäische Kunstakademie e.V. The academy cooperates with the University of Trier, Trier University of Applied Sciences, the Institute for Teacher Further and Continuing Education in Speyer and TCU in Fort Worth, USA. By the mid-2020s the academy was approaching its 50th anniversary, promoted under the banner '1977 – 2027: 50 Jahre Europäische Kunstakademie in Trier'. Its self-description emphasises continuous, contemporary development in step with the art scene, more than 3,000 square metres of well-equipped studios, a large Moselle terrace with gastronomy, and a 'feel-good atmosphere' alongside its courses.

• 2026

  Group exhibition 'POPAiR SHOW – structures of resonance' at Kunsthalle Trier, 22–27 September; diploma ceremony on 20 September; 2027 course programme announced ahead of the 50th anniversary.

• 2020

  Simon Santschi becomes director in February, succeeding Dr. Gabriele Lohberg after her 1996–2020 tenure.

• 2010

  Six-semester Kunststudium art study programme introduced.

• 1996

  Dr. Gabriele Lohberg becomes director of the academy.

• 1977

  Europäische Kunstakademie Trier founded by Professor Erich Kraemer as a non-profit registered association in the former Trier slaughterhouse buildings in Trier-West.

• 50th anniversary of the Europäische Kunstakademie in Trier (1977–2027).

A non-profit, open-enrolment European fine-arts academy combining classical techniques with contemporary practice, guided by the founder's principle 'Kunst durch Kenntnis' (art through knowledge).

• Kunststudium (six-semester art study programme)

  Introduced in 2010; a structured programme for long-standing course participants and other art-interested people seeking sustained artistic development.

• Annual course programme

  Around 170 courses per year from February to November, taught by over 60 lecturers from Germany and other European countries in 18 studios and workshops.

• Portfolio preparation (Mappenvorbereitung)

  Courses preparing study applicants for art school applications.

• le filou youth art school Trier

  Courses, workshops and holiday programmes for young people.

• Kunsthalle Trier

  Exhibition venue presenting changing shows, lectures and concerts.

1. 1Europäische Kunstakademie Trier – official website homepageeka-trier.de
2. 2Über uns – Europäische Kunstakademie Triereka-trier.de
3. 3Team – Europäische Kunstakademie Triereka-trier.de
4. 4Europäische Akademie für Bildende Kunst Trier – Wikidatawikidata.org
5. 5Europäische Kunstakademie Trier – Wikipedia (German)de.wikipedia.org