The emergence of architectural education in Bulgaria (1943 - 1946). Investigating internal and external influences

This study examines the establishment of architectural education in Bulgaria during the period 1943 – 1946. It systematically analyzes the institutional, historical, conceptual, and personal contexts that shaped the early development of this educational field, with a focus on distinguishing between internal and external influences. Architectural education in Bulgaria began at the Higher Technical School in Sofia during the challenging circumstances of World War II and the immediate post-war years. The program was developed following the German polytechnic model, adapted to local conditions and constrained by the realities of the time and place. This model was implemented by the first generation of architecture educators (1943 – 1946), most of whom had received their education in German Technische Hochschulen (polytechnics) during the Weimar Republic era (1918 – 1933). The study demonstrates that, in its formative years, Bulgarian architectural education was both adequate and, in certain aspects, progressive for its time-though it did not pursue avant-garde or conceptually radical approaches. The conclusion emphasizes the need for further in-depth research into the subsequent stages of architectural education in Bulgaria