Reichsforschungssiedlung Haselhorst in Berlin

#Housing estate #Berlin #1930

Architects

Paul Emmerich, Fred Forbát, Walter Gropius, Paul Mebes, Otto Bartning, Alfred Gellhorn, Erich Bohne, Alexander Klein, Ernst Paulus, Günther Paulus

Developers

Heimstätten AG Groß-Berlin (HEIMAG)

Address and directions

Burscheider Weg1, 3–6H, 8–8H, 10–11G, 13, 14–14H, 16–16H, 18–18G, 23–23C, 24–24G, 30–30E, 38–38C, 39–39C, 41–41C, 48–48C, 54–54C, 58–58C, 60–60C, 61; Daumstraße 4, 8, 8, 10, 18. 20, 22, 24, 26-26B, 28-28F; Gartenfelder Straße 106–106F, 110–110I, 114–114H, 118–118H, 122–122H, 124–124I, 128-128I, 132–132I, 134–134I, 136–136C, 138–138A, 140; Haselhorster Damm 1–25, 27-65 (odd numbers), 42, 44, 46, 48; Kanalstraße 4-6; Lüdenscheider Weg 1–12A, 14-28 (even numbers); Lünette 1, 3, 5; Riensbergstraße 61-77 (odd numbers)
13599 Berlin, Germany

Public transport: Burscheider Weg / Haselhorster Damm/Gartenfelder Straße / Siedlung Haselhorst

Access: Museum

Today's use: Apartments, shops

Berlin's largest housing estate of the early 1930s

Description

Description

All in all the housing estate consisted of blocks of flats surrounded by green spaces and trees. The first plans were drawn by Walter Gropius. Gropius' designs were a foretaste of the modernism of the 1950s and 1960s. The devoloper was not happy with him, so they decided to continue on their own..

The flat sizes varied between 40 and 55 square metres. A medium-sized flat with 2 rooms was designed for a family with two children. The individual construction phases were realised by different architects who left their mark.

Block I was designed by Fred Forbát. Those houses are in the soutwest of the housing estate between the streets Haselhorster Damm, Burscheider Weg, Daumstraße and Gartenfelder Straße. The core of the block at Haselhorster Damm 1-25 consists of of a steel sceleton. All other houses are masoned. Block I was finished already in 1932.

Most of the architects worked on blocks II and III in the northwest section: Otto Bartning, Erich Bohne, Alfred Gellhorn, Alexander Klein, Ernst and Günther Paulus. As Alfred Gellhorn and Alexander Klein had to flee from Germany, the architects Ernst and Günther Paulus were awarded to built the blocks in 1933. The architecture remained modern. That was not typicical for this time, as the Nazis prefered another architecture.

Blocks IV (northeast part) and V were designed by Paul Mebes and Paul Emmerich and built in 1930/31. The construction consists of a steel sceleton built by the company Philipp Holzmann AG, famous in Germany.

An exciting building can be found at Kanalstraße 4-6: the former wash house was a central washing area with washing bunks where around 100 washes could be done per day. With almost 3,500 flats, this was a seemingly small capacity.

History

Some people probably associate the German name with the Third Reich and the reign of Adolf Hitler. But the term "Reich" for Germany was also common in the Republic from 1919 to 1933. Forschung means research. During construction, research was to be carried out into how the future large housing estates were to be developed and realised. Planning for the Haselhorst housing estate began in 1928, with the politican Marie-Elisabeth Lüders playing a major role in the development of this housing estate, who demanded: first the kitchen - then the facade. She supported poor people and fought for women's rights. So it was her idea, to establish a so called Reich Research Society for Economic Efficiency in Building and Housing. Paul Mebes was the right architect to realise all her requirement. The research organisation was dissolved already in 1931 again, due to political pressure. However, Fred Forbát's buildings continued to be built until 1935. This is interesting because the Nazis did not encourage or forbid modern housing and Fred Forbát was a Jew. At the end were finished 3,448 flats, 40 shops, cinema Rex at Haselhorster Damm 27, a modern wash house and a primary school (but bettween 1932 and 1934 a one floor construction, finished in 1956). This housing estate was the largest in Berlin, perhaps even in Germany, during the Weimar Republic and until the end of the 1940s.

Housing estates like this one were planned for workers and people with a lower income. Many of the local tenants once worked in the nearby Siemens factories.

During World War II parts of the housing estate were destroyed, but rebuilt in the 1950s.

Although the housing estate unites many well-known architects, it has not become a UNESCO World Heritage site like other large Berlin housing estates of the Weimar Republic. And although bricks were often used in the UNESCO estates and concrete was also used as a building material in this estate.

In 1995 the whole housing estate was listed and reconstructed between 2003 and 2013. In the first block in the street Burscheider Weg 21 was implemented an original apartment that can be visited as a museum.

History

Some people probably associate the German name with the Third Reich and the reign of Adolf Hitler. But the term "Reich" for Germany was also common in the Republic from 1919 to 1933. Forschung means research. During construction, research was to be carried out into how the future large housing estates were to be developed and realised. Planning for the Haselhorst housing estate began in 1928, with the politican Marie-Elisabeth Lüders playing a major role in the development of this housing estate, who demanded: first the kitchen - then the facade. She supported poor people and fought for women's rights. So it was her idea, to establish a so called Reich Research Society for Economic Efficiency in Building and Housing. Paul Mebes was the right architect to realise all her requirement. The research organisation was dissolved already in 1931 again, due to political pressure. However, Fred Forbát's buildings continued to be built until 1935. This is interesting because the Nazis did not encourage or forbid modern housing and Fred Forbát was a Jew. At the end were finished 3,448 flats, 40 shops, cinema Rex at Haselhorster Damm 27, a modern wash house and a primary school (but bettween 1932 and 1934 a one floor construction, finished in 1956). This housing estate was the largest in Berlin, perhaps even in Germany, during the Weimar Republic and until the end of the 1940s.

Housing estates like this one were planned for workers and people with a lower income. Many of the local tenants once worked in the nearby Siemens factories.

During World War II parts of the housing estate were destroyed, but rebuilt in the 1950s.

Although the housing estate unites many well-known architects, it has not become a UNESCO World Heritage site like other large Berlin housing estates of the Weimar Republic. And although bricks were often used in the UNESCO estates and concrete was also used as a building material in this estate.

In 1995 the whole housing estate was listed and reconstructed between 2003 and 2013. In the first block in the street Burscheider Weg 21 was implemented an original apartment that can be visited as a museum.

Sources