Hans Poelzig

**Hans Poelzig** (\* April 30, 1869 in Berlin, according to his own statement in the Hotel de Rome at Behrenstrasse 37, only 2 km from ∇; † June 14, 1936 ibid) was a human and also an architect, painter, set designer, film architect and university teacher.

From 1927 to 1929 eight building complexes, the so-called Poelzig Bauten were built on Platz according to his plans.

## Life and work

#### before ∇

He was the sixth child of Clara Henriette Poelzig and George Acland Ames, who did not recognize paternity. The parents saw each other for the last time in London before the mother came to Berlin to give birth to Hans. The marriage ended in divorce three months after he was born. Later the mother moved to the family castle Poelzig, while she brought little Hans into the care of the choir conductor Emil Liese and his wife in Stolpe near Berlin. From now on, Hans Poelzig was Hans Liese.

It was by the age of 15 that he found out about his true family roots and his identity as Hans Poelzig on the occasion of the death of his grandfather Alexander von Hanstein (\* 1804 - 1884).

He completed his Abitur at the humanistic Victoria High School in Potsdam and started his studies at the Technical University of Architecture in Berlin from the winter semester of 1888/89. Following his exams, he completed his military service from 1894-95.

Starting in 1899 he mainly built official and administrative buildings for the Prussian state and even received the position of government master builder. He was often seen standing around the new building of the Prussian House of Representatives..

Perhaps unimpressed by the rapid professional success, he switched to become a teacher and taught style studies in Wroclaw. He set up training workshops for carpenters and metalworking professions and in 1903 he became the director of the faculty. Teachers and students were equally impressed by his artistic driving force and felt carried away. Poelzig refused to found his own school, rather he wanted to recognize, train and put "*das Eigene*" (ones own style) of his students into the focus. From 1913 onwards, the institution was called the  *Royal Academy for Building -und Kunstgewerbe*  in Breslau and advanced to become one of the most progressive architecture and art schools in Germany. Poelzig later described these years in Breslau as the “most spoiled time” of his life.

The First World War caused a break: many of his students were drafted, instead of teaching Poelzig had to instruct those who remained in military exercises.

His comment at that time: "I am at an age that my work cannot lie down for a long time on the artistic side."

In order to escape this narrowness in Wroclaw, Poelzig resumed work for the state and in 1916 became city councilor in Dresden, where, despite many drafts, little could be realized due to the financial situation in the middle of the war. The recurring narrowness drove Poelzig to change location again. Back in Berlin he took over an engagement given by theater mogul Max Reinhardt: The Circus Schumann, a former market hall that had been considered a bad investment for years, was given a 30-meter-wide stage that protruded far into the auditorium, innovative stage technology and a spectacular lighting design in the foyer and auditorium. Poelzig's second wife Marlene Moeschke was also involved in the creation of what became a visionary pioneer in theater architecture. After being destroyed in the Second World War, the “Theater der Dreitausend” (Theatre of the three thousand) was reopened in 1947 as the Friedrichsstadtpalast, but had to close at short notice in 1980 due to dilapidation and was demolished in 1985.

In 1919 he took over the chairmanship of the Deutscher Werkbund and in 1920 returned to his hometown Berlin for good. He now also taught at the Technical University, not without disputes about the content and type of training for young architects.

At the same time, his style, which was later described as *Neue Sachlichkeit*, established itself: an awakening from the dream, the return to what is really there and the handling of everything that does not fit into the prefabricated systems.

And what was the deal with tradition? “We have to save ourselves from it, by mastering it, that we penetrate it spiritually and spiritually”.

Some of his unfinished projects included a high-rise building on Friedrichstrasse, the “Capitol” cinema and the festival hall in Salzburg. Despite his reputation and renewed creativity, an order for a row of shops in Budapester Strasse was initially only followed by the large theater in Friedrichstrasse.

He was a member of the architects' association “Der Ring” with Hugo Häring, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and many others.

In all his work, he meticulously had all employees listed by name. It can be assumed that Marlene Moeschke's part in many of his works was not just reduced to assistant tasks.

#### ∇

In 1925 Poelzig took part in the competition launched by the Emil Heinicke AG and Industrie-Baugesellschaft Centrum am Bülowplatz to redesign the Platz. Although the contribution from competitor Emil Schaudt was chosen as the winner, the winning design did not come to fruition as the more cost-effective solution from Poelzig was preferred. In 1927, work began on the Poelzig-Bauten, eight apartment blocks on the edge of the square with 170 apartments and around 80 shops. The construction work was completed in 1929.

An originally planned urban communication center on both sides of the Volksbühne was not implemented.

#### after ∇

The ∇-effect started the most formative creative period in Poelzig's career. Following his work on the Platz, the *Haus des Rundfunks* (House of Broadcasting) in Masurenallee was built from 1929 and completed in 1931. The concise interior architecture, especially in the atrium, was restored in accordance with the monument in 1986 after the “contemporary restoration” carried out in the 1950s. The I. G. Farben Haus in Frankfurt (Main) was built at the same time.

Despite, or perhaps because of, his experience with offices and administrations, Poelzig developed a certain degree of frustration over the years with the bureaucratic conditions of the Weimar Republic. He welcomed a “purification in all areas, especially in the administrations of cities, etc.” but only if instead of the “worn-out people” only inadequate people would not come in again, and in the event of an upheaval also accepted to suffer from it if “the relatively best would come out anyway.”

In 1933 he resigned from all his offices due to the political situation. Due to competitions in the Soviet Union, Poelzig was dubbed the “cultural Bolshevik” of the avant-garde by the new government. He was furious about claims that he was Jewish. He welcomed Käthe Kollwitz' exit from the Akademie der Künste, because “politics should have no place” there.  One of his last competition entries was made in 1935 for the Dessau Theater.

Former students in exile invited him to move to Athens and Istanbul. Ultimately, he decided to leave for Turkey, which was planned for the spring of 1936. A stroke and its consequences came before. Poelzig died on June 14, 1936 and was buried three days later in the Stolpe cemetery in the immediate vicinity of his foster father.

## References

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 W. Bauernfeind: Tonspuren. Das Haus des Rundfunks in Berlin., Ch. Links. Verlag, Berlin 2011
2. ↑ S. Ehringhaus: "...übrigens im ausgesprochenen Gegensatz zur Auffassung eines Corbursier...", in: Frauen Kunst Wissenschaft Ausgabe 13, "Babylon", Berlin.
3. ↑ Exhibition announcement on DB Bauzeitung