The Design Faculty of the Darmstadt Polytechnic, with its courses in industrial and communication design, has its roots in the traditional Darmstadt Mathildenhöhe. Founded here in 1898 was the »Künstlerkolonie« (artists colony), which as centre of German art nouveau also influenced the founders of Bauhaus. In 1950 it gave rise to the Werkkunstschule Darmstadt (school of applied arts), which in 1971 became the Faculty of Design of the newly founded Darmstadt Polytechnic. On average 450 students study in the faculty, one third thereof in the course industrial design and two thirds in communication design.