Landhäuser in Berlin (Berlin residences) 1933-1945

In his dissertation for the Berlin FU (Freie Universität) Frank Schmitz took as his subject the private houses individually built during the National Socialist period in Berlin. His comprehensive research covered the original ground plans and facades in Berlin's town planning records, interviews with the families of the owners and the collation of historic photos.

Against all expectations he didn't encounter the monolithic traditionalist, neo-classical style for which National Socialist state architecture was known. Instead he found a range of architectural types presenting an individual mixture of modern elements and the traditional and conservative, often incorporating surprising and ambitious individual solutions which were free from ideological ballast. Typical modernist features such as flat roofs and ribbon glazing hardly appear at all – instead we find open layouts, large areas of glass and atriums.

On the basis of a contemporary historical observation of the terms "villa", "country house" and "private home" Frank Schmitz has selected 53 typical houses and divided them into the categories of "the small house", " the modern house", " the individual house", "the convertible house" and "the typical house". With all their scientific conciseness his analyses are fascinating to read and with a map of the city to guide us there are some real discoveries to be made. After all, the houses were commissioned by people such as Leni Riefenstahl, Rudolf Belling, Arno Breker and Kurt Kranz, while the architects included Hans and Wassili Luckhardt, Hans Scharoun, Egon Eiermann and Wils Ebert.


Facts:
Issued by: Landesdenkmalamt Berlin, Beiheft 31 (Berlin state monuments department)
Author: Frank Schmitz
403 pages, 368 illustrations
Format 17 x 24 cm, bound with protective sleeve
Publisher: Gebr. Mann Verlag Berlin 2007
Publisher's recommended price: 89.- EUR
Language: German
ISBN: 978-3-7861-2543-3