Dessau is a town and former municipality in Saxony-Anhalt in Germany. The next larger cities are Halle, about 40 km southwest, Leipzig, about 52 km south and Magdeburg, about 54 km northwest. The city became well known for its college of architecture Bauhaus founded by Walter Gropius in Weimar. In July 2007 it was merged with Roßlau to the new city of Dessau-Roßlau.