Julius Posener and the establishment of Malaysian architectural education (1956–1961): a historical inquiry

More than six decades have passed since the mid-twentieth century founding of architectural education in Malaysia, which was anchored in the country's colonial past. In 1925, the Technical School in Kuala Lumpur introduced an informal architectural training programme for federal government agencies. A full-time course was conducted there between 1930 and 1950. This led to the establishment of the first formal architectural programme in 1956 by Julius Posener, a German architect, academic, architectural historian, author, and critic. Posener’s various works and contributions to architecture and architectural education remain relatively unknown in Malaysia, yet were notable at various points in his career, which included working in Paris, Jerusalem, London, Berlin, and Kuala Lumpur. Records, publications, and collections of his work are mostly well documented, but there are limited records of his time in Kuala Lumpur and in particular of his significant involvement in architectural education during his tenure at the Technical College (name changed to college in 1956).

This research has filled the knowledge gap and acknowledged Posener’s contributions to the history of architectural education in Malaysia. It has examined the historical role of Posener’s work, influence, and contribution to Malaysian architectural education during the five years of his tenure at the Technical College, Kuala Lumpur, from 1956 to 1961, and his legacy thereafter. This thesis therefore provides original documentation of his life, work, and the traces of his influence in Malaysian architectural education.

Using the historical inquiry method, the various sources of information consulted defined the conceptual framework required for this research. The sources comprised first-hand narrative accounts and oral histories, archival resources, and the contextual literature review, mostly obtained from three archival centres, including the Archiv der Akademie der Kunste (Archive of the Academy of Arts) in Berlin, the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) Library in London, and the Malaysian National Archive (Arkib Negara) in Malaysia. A large portion of the data compiled is in the form of publications, documentation, visual and audio recordings, autobiographical books, student programme handbooks, as well as unpublished data such as accreditation documents, periodical writing, manuscripts, and insights retrieved from primary research interviews with Posener's correspondences and also interviews with others regarding Posener.

This research shows that humanistic values shaped Posener's architectural philosophy and set the preliminary framework for architectural education in Malaysia, shifting from informal training to a structured curriculum that prioritises human well-being, local context, and societal engagement. Posener's influence may have served as a bridge, cultivating a pedagogical framework that prioritises both the universal aspects of human-centric design and the unique characteristics of Malaysian cultural identity. The integration is essential for emphasising how humanistic architectural principles transform educational frameworks, fostering promising architecture graduates who possess a strong awareness of social and cultural issues in their learning.