wizarding schools

Until 1871, Germany was not a united country, so it is highly unlikely that there is only one Wizarding School in Germany. At least the big states would have their own, but probably every small state would employ some kind of magical education as well. As this would bust this post, I will only look at the four kingdoms Prussia, Bavaria, Hanover and Saxony.

Königlich-Sächsische Akademie der Magischen Künste (Regal-Saxonian Academy of the Magical Arts)

-Founded in 1729 as Kurfürstlich-Sächsische A. d. M. K., it is located in a valley of Saxon Switzerland which is dominated by impressive high peaks consisting of chalk sandstone and deep canyons cleaved by clear rivers.

-The school building itself is an epitome of baroque architecture, comparable to structures like the Japanese Palace in the inner city of Dresden.

-The focus had always been on cooperation with neighbouring kingdoms like Bohemia or later on Poland, when the the Elector August the Strong became King of Poland. Due to its location, geology and forestry play a big role in the curriculum. The sport of choice is climbing.

Marineschule Cuxhaven mit magischer Ausrichtung (Naval School Cuxhaven with Magical Alignment)

-The school building is a typical Northern Germany red brick building as you can find them in many cities that used to belong to the Hansa. It is less pompous than the most famous naval school in Flensburg (picture below) but is rumoured to have worked as a model for it.

-Founded in 1820, it is situated at the outskirts of the city, not particularly hidden from Muggles as it was disguised as an official Marine institution and therewith having restricted admission anyway.

-The special feature of the school is its training ship that travels the North Sea. Most sports are played on water.

Akademie der Magischen Künste des Königreichs Bayerns (Academy of the Magical Arts in the Kingdom Bavaria)

-The youngest school among the big magical schools on German ground, it was founded by Ludwig II. as he considered it a personal insult that his kingdom did not have a magical school yet. Until then, magic had been practised in local schools as something natural.

-It is situated in the Alpine foreland beside the Waginger See, a lake that was formed in the last glacial period and is surrounded by hills covered in green meadows.

-Loving pomp and splendour, he insisted on giving as much attention to the architecture as to the curriculum. Think of a mixture of Neuschwanstein Castle in style and a smaller version of Herrenchiemsee (below) in size. A big part of the syllabus are theatre, music and the visual arts.

Preußische Lehranstalt für Magie und übernatürliche Praktiken (Prussian School for Magic and Supernatural Practice)

-The oldest magical school in Germany, it is located at the Damerow Forest in the Uckermark, a thinly populated area north-east of Berlin. The building looks similar to Boitzenburg Castle though this is not the original from 1661 which was built after Prussia finally gained sovereignity.

-In laters years, especially under the reign of Friedrich Wilhelm I., the focus shifted to research about the use of magic in the military and the students were put under strict exercise. Most sports include horse riding to some extent.

Mga Angkan ng Marahuyo (Marahuyo Houses)

Marahuyo (A Filipino Wizarding School)

(More below the cut!)

When Christianity arrived in Europe the Roman Empire tried to control the rest of the continent through banning anything that is not Christian. Witches and wizards had to hide from other witches and wizards that had taken the believes of Christianity on, destroying magical properties, cutting down holy trees, burning down groves and destroying ancient monuments. Where once temples stood, where once druids had used their magical abilities enhanced by nature to heal, churches were erected. Old Gods and Old Magic had been demolished. And those, who didn’t want to let their world vanish, didn’t want to let everything be destroyed, gathered in Poland with artifacts and knowledge, preserving the arts and dying for it along the way. Those who had lived and survived the Churches brutal banishment seeked refuge at the Baltic Sea in Poland. The chose the island of Hel although it is unknown who first sailed there. Nontheless, the message spread by word of mouth and people who tried to hied and tried to save what the Chruch wanted destroyed gathered at the isle.

Official records state the academy was built and founded in the year of 1077. Along the line a city sprouted surrounding the academy, becoming famous among non magical beings as a lucrative rich place for herring trade and a flourishing port. As every port city Gellen was full of strangers, but that didn’t bother anyone and the witchard community grew rapidly, hiding in plain sight. Witches and wizards from Prussia, Poland, Livonia, Scandinavia and many other places created a cosmopolitan atmosphere of Balt Meddin, mainly from slavic countries.

During the 15th century tragic events of unknown origin took place, no recrods being found. Not even the Magical Administration of Poland (or short MAP) have records of these events. However, marks of powerful spells are still visible on the Hel peninsula, which is no longer an island, and misses a huge part of land. There are no accounts of what had happened, the event a mystery even to the non-magical community, which suggests a mass memory purge. The only known fact is that since the early years of the 16th century Balt Meddin has been hidden underwater, underneath an invisible dome. A new city has been built above, and it’s populated entirely by mundanes.

It is very little known about Balt Meddin.

It’s not easy to get in or out of Balt Meddin either. Young witchards often receive their invitation via a trained porpoise or a seagull, sometimes when they had already been accepted at another wizarding school. There are magical ways to go through the water, but first graders and some other visitors are often swallowed and transported by trained whales and squids. These means of precaution proved to be extremely efficient during both World Wars. Dark witchards and regime supporters couldn’t access the school, due to its splendid isolation. 

Although MAP did try to persuade the school in helping in the war against Hitler and Grindelwald. Without success. The school closed off completely during the wars, receiving harsh criticism from various magical communities. Balt Meddin never published an official statement and kept hidden, not letting any of the Dark Witchards into the school grounds, the protective spells insurmountable.

Balt Meddin doesn’t need any dark arts to cause itself magical problems…

Students at Balt Meddin are sorted into three different Houses at the start of their schooling, much like at Czocha College. Unlike Czocha College, the students are not sorted based on their attitude or personality, but rather based on their skills and talents.

Lyngbakr, House of Whale, where students deal mainly with Intervallum, the space that is: travelling, bending space, flying, studying fragments of lost spells that could make ships and other means of transportation fly.

Hafgufa, House of Kraken, where students learn about Vis, the energy that makes the whole universe alive: concentrating the energy, speeding up entropy, fire, lightning bolts. Students in Hafgufa are sometimes called Pyromancers.

Uroborus, House of Sea Serpent, where students learn about time, Tempus. This is the most dangerous of arts and only the best students can enter the doors of an Uroborus workshop.

It remains a fact that very little is known about the history or teaching methods in this school. Even the Magical Administration of Poland has problems getting into the school grounds. 

However, it is a fact that graduates tend to be very powerful witches and wizards. And they do not share their secrets willingly.

(FC: Concept art for Cair Paravel castle from Narnia movies by Henrik Tamm)

Location: Marogród Castle, Giant Mountains, Lower Silesia, Poland

Established: 1017

Founder: Marzanna

Motto: “Knowledge and Reverence”

Crest: A red tree on white-black background

School Colors: White, Red and Black

Interesting Facts:

Founded in 1017 by a slavic witch Marzanna in Giant Mountains in Poland, then known as the Kingdom of Poland.

Located in Giant Mountains in a enchanted valley cloaked by magic.

Due to the original plans intending to place the school entirely underground, some of the most exquisite chambers and halls are suited below ground level, such as The Lunar Archive.

Subjects in which students of this school excel are herbology, healing arts, divination and wandless magic (part of Spellcraft curriculum since third year). 

There is no house division, students are only divided accordingly to their gender, therefore there are only two dormitories, one for girls and one for boys.

Known to possess one of the greatest magical archives in all of Europe - The Lunar Archive. It contains some of the oldest and most dangerous spellbooks and grimoires, and also many magical artifacts. The door to the Archives is enchanted to only open for everyone on full moon, otherwise you need a special talisman to open the door. 

The Academy is often looked upon with suspicion by other European wizarding schools and governments as they put an eminent emphasis on teaching wandless magic in their Spellcraft classes (equivalent to British Charms). It is because Polish wizarding society has a long history of wizards and witches being kidnapped with their wands being snapped which very often rendered them defenceless. 

Due to the above, the Academy is collaborating with Uagadou School of Magic since 2004. The professors exchange their knowledge of wandless magic and the Polish students have a chance to swap places with African students. 

Syllabus: 

Core Subjects:

Spellcraft

Herbology

Potions

Healing Arts

Transfiguration

Divination

Defence Against the Dark Arts

History of Magic

Astronomy

Elective Courses:

Arithmancy

Advanced Wandless Magic

Care of Magical Creatures

Elemental Magic

Jewish Mysticism

Martial Magic Arts

Muggle Studies

Study of Ancient Runes

Magical Musical Compositions

Alchemy

The middle eastern school for magic, which takes students from all over Middle East and North Africa, may be found under the Citadel of Aleppo, in Syria. It calls Almalja, « The shelter » in Old Arabic.

For muggles, the legendary palace appears to be some old catacombs condemned for hundreds of years. Almalja is a palace and fortress complex wich was originally constructed as a small fortress in 889 and then largely ignored until its ruins were renovated and rebuilt in the mid-10th century by one of the most brilliant wizard of the time ; Ahmad Arabshah who then became the Great Founder of the Middle East Wizarding School.

Being totally underground, the palace benefits from a gigantic magic sky and magic exteriors (orange grove, desert, oasis). The decoration consists for the upper part of the walls, of Arabic inscriptions—mostly poems by arab artists (muggles and wizards) and others praising the school—that are manipulated into geometrical patterns with vegetal background set onto an arabesque setting. Most of the walls are enchanted, changing lights and colors, depending on the feelings of students and teachers walking around.

Almalja students wear very long robes, finely adjusted, similar to colorful caftans. The school is well known for its studies of arithmancy and ancient runes.

The Marchmont School of Magic:

Siren’s Isle, Sixth Borough*, New York City

The Marchmont School of Magic is not the oldest of magical schools, dating back to only the late 1880s, but its location, so close to the magical heart of the city, the Sixth Borough, nonetheless makes it a fine choice for the education of magical children. Its founding too, can be said to raise a few eyebrows. A young pureblood of an old family bought the grounds and built the sprawling mansion for the express purpose of impressing a girl, Genevieve Marchmont. When she rebuffed him to marry another, he persevered, opened the school with the help of his friend, and her sister, Jessamine Marchmont, for whom the school is named.

The beautiful Victorian building stands alone on the unplotted Siren’s Island, an island in the Sound between the Bronx and Queens. The grounds are not quite as sprawling as many other magical institutions, but it still supports a sizable quidditch pitch and gardens. A train station is situated on the north side of the island, connected to the Wizarding Rail out of Grand Central, allowing for a few day students to commute from their city homes.

Majority of the students, however, dorm in the school. There are no houses at the school, students are separated only by grade. The first year of education begins with sixth grade. Independence and exploration of the city are highly encouraged. The sixth and seventh grade students are watched more closely, but at eighth grade all students receive a metropolitan rail card and are loosed upon the streets of the Sixth Borough, along with the other muggle five. Siren’s Station has a train that goes direct to the Borough.

Subjects include Magical History, Arithmancy, Magical Theory, Herbology, American Magical History, Charms, Practical Defense, Theoretical Defense, Transfiguration, Muggle Studies and Potions. Elective courses such as Magical Arts, Photography, Astronomy (practicals conducted only at March Light off the coast of Montauk) and Divination are also offered for a well rounded magical education.

*The Sixth Borough is inspired by the great blog, American Wizarding, specifically this post.

honey & venom aesthetic moodboards [6/??] >> new delhi academy of magic [x]

“Tom couldn’t believe his eyes when he entered the lavish halls. The academy had an impressive display of richly colored patterns and designs. Images of India’s magical history were painted along the walls, some of which came to life to entertain and inform curious eyes. There was an array of fruit trees and spice gardens that lined the stone courtyard out back; the school favorite being a mango tree that had been there since the school’s founding. Students wore enchanted saris and sherwanis that liked to shift colors on the fly throughout the day. While Tom was used to seeing toads, cats, and owls as magical pets, students here had monkeys, foxes, and owls; and lived peacefully alongside elephants, wolves, and even tigers. Every year when classes were halted for Diwali, elaborately decorated lamps and candles covered the hallways and floated along the Krishna River, where the school was discretely located against.” [insp.]

Lucilinburhuc School of Witchcraft and Wizardry by SweetLittleVampire

Since I am still bitter about us having to go to Beauxbatons, I created us a school of our own. The links included in the text will show you pictures of the actual locations.

Based in: Luxembourg, Europe

Located in: Castle of Beaufort (appears fallen apart to Muggles; technique borrowed from Hogwarts) (Here is a map of Luxembourg; Beaufort is somewhere between Diekirch and Echternach. I live in Luxembourg, and it takes me about 45 minutes by train to go from there to Diekirch.)

Name Origin: Lucilinburhuc was the name of a small roman castellum located in what is known today as Luxembourg City.. Count Siegfried 1st. used it to build his castle in 963, and the city formed itself around it.  It literally means “tiny castle”, and the country´s actual name derives from it. The castle itself lies in ruins, and they´ve become an actual tourist atraction, and is since 1994 part of the UNESCO World Heritage.

Status: European boarding school. Students allowed to attend are from Luxembourg and all of the other European dwarf states (San Marino, Malta, Andorra, Liechtenstein, Monaco, the Vatican). 150 places are reserved to pupils from Belgium and the Netherlands who would prefer not to attend Beauxbatons. Classes will be held mostly in English; different language classes are available as options.

Accomodation Space: For up to 1200 students (to compare: Joanne K. Rowling said Hogwarts had around 1000 students; the book however suggests that there might have been up to 1700. My own high school - located in Luxembourg´s city centre - has about 1400).

School Houses: Two. House Melusina (blue) and House Sigefroi (red) → more info to be added later.

The Crest: It depicts the colours of the two Houses as well as their attributes - wave-like structures for Melusina, and regal-looking damask for Sigefroi. Together with the white divider, they are reminiscent of Luxembourg´s national colours, red, white, and blue. They underline the unification of the diversity within the two Houses in one small country, who likes to keep its identity and heritage alive while welcoming and embracing foreign cultures. We chose not to include the actual symbols for Melusina and Sigefroi into the main coat of arms, since we believe that its simplicity makes enough of a statement.

The Motto: “in Varietate Concordia” means Unity in Diversity. Since Lucilinburhuc does not only accept Luxembourgians but students from other dwarf states as well, we saw this motto as the most fitting, since the school tries to provide a home and education for all of its pupils, no matter where they are from. It is also the official motto of the European Union, which Luxembourg is a founding state of.

                             BEAUXBATONS ACADEMY OF MAGIC

THE BASICS

Location: The Pyrenees Mountains, France Student Body: Between 1200 and 1500 students with approximately 70 to 100 students in standard grades, though there are multiple classes in each grade which number around 25 students Student Ages: 7 years through 19 years Magical Specialties: Charms, Magical Control, Precise Wandwork

A BRIEF HISTORY

Originally a seasonal estate of Marchioness Louise-Augustine de Montmorency- a veela who had married into muggle nobility, the Marchioness opened Beauxbatons to those fleeing the guillotine following the French revolution. She and her family hid muggle and pureblood alike until the end of the Revolution and the Terror. When there was no more use for the building as a sanctuary, it was converted to a school. The Marchioness spent a veritable fortune recruiting expert professors from all over France to teach, and appointed herself as Headmistress. The French school is unique in that it is the only institution that begins to teach its students before they are able to perform magic. Students are recruited when they begin to display signs of magic, as young as seven years old. Students are taught French History, Etiquette, Wand Safety, and how to control their magical abilities long before they ever learn a spell or hold a wand in their hand. Standard classes normally begin around age eleven. Student relationships are normally quite close, as classmates are practically raised together nine months out of the year. Beauxbatons prides itself not only on it’s extensive schooling, but on it’s welcoming attitude towards those with mixed heritage. The school is made up of almost 50% muggleborns, and those with veela and giant heritage are commonplace. Though several traditional pureblood families and even the French Ministry of Magic have tried to change this over the years, the descendants of the the Marchioness (many of whom still work at the school or number among the Board of Governors) have always raised fierce protests, backed by an extensive fortune and most of the school’s staff and students. “My grandmother started this school as a refuge for those the country had shunned,” Former Headmistress Charlotte de Montmorency is noted to have said during one such upheaval. “I would rather close the school forever than see one magical child turned away because of something as immaterial as blood status.” The school holds several seemingly frivolous traditions near to their heart, many of which were started in the time of the Marchioness. Most are known only to Beauxbaton students themselves, though some are more widely known. While Beauxbaton has no official uniform, students are expected to be well dressed, and it is traditional to dress in the colors of the school, pale blue, white, and gold.

CLASS STRUCTURE

The large amount of students at the school demands an equally large staff. The sprawling estate requires dozens of housekeepers, cooks, and gardeners, and there are over one hundred professeurs and sous-professeur employed at Beaubaxton, all exemplary in their fields. Classes from ages six to eleven tend to be smaller, taught by the same handful of teachers every year until they receive their wands and move on. Those classes that follow tend to be resemble college lectures, and may contain as many as 100 students, depending on the subject. Should students find themselves struggling, sous-professeurs have extensive office hour for individual education and advice, and may be assigned a tutor from a higher grade. (Several hours of tutoring are required from each student in order to graduate, as it is considered a service to the school.) Each grade is also assigned a Sponsor de Classe, who acts as something of a confidant and advisor for that group of students from the time they come to Beauxbaton until they graduate. Students are required to demonstrate practical applications of what they have learned weekly to their professeurs, and testing is done three times a year- a month into classes to see what the students have retained over the summer, before Winter Break, and at the end of the year. OWLs are done during a student’s sixth year. Students are expected to be able to perform a noverbal, wandless Avis charm by the time they graduate.

NOTABLE ALUMNI