The block

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The Block was a German architects ' association founded in 1928 in response to the avant-garde association Der Ring . In contrast to the ring, which was geared towards international modernism, the block propagated a more conservative formal language in modernism based on historicism, one that picks up on both craft and regional traditions. He was close to the Stuttgart school and the architecture of the homeland security .

history

The architects' association Der Block was founded in June 1928 in Saaleck near Naumburg as a rebellion against New Building in Germany. Leading role in the foundation was Paul Schultze-Naumburg , who is also the founding chairman of the German Federal Homeland Security was. Since 1900 he advocated a return to the traditional and organic architectural style and incorporated this into his cultural works . Schultze-Naumburg was the leading theorist of the homeland security movement , which campaigned for the preservation and continuation of German traditions and values. The block wanted to preserve traditional building methods and materials and resisted the modern, functionally oriented architecture and its international design language.

The block summarized its goals in the manifesto published in the May 1928 issue of the Baukunst magazine:

“The block has brought together a number of German architects who feel connected in their conception of culture and who also express this in their works. They believe that an expression of their own must be found in the construction tasks of our time, but that the views of life of one's own people and the conditions of the nature of the country must be taken into account. They pursue all suggestions and possibilities that concern new materials and work forms with keen attention, but without neglecting the inherited and without wanting to lose what is already skillful. They reject all too hasty advertising for fashionable products that must endanger healthy development. "

The manifesto was written by Rudolf Pfister , the editor of architecture, a. a. commented with the following sentences:

“The names with which the manifesto is signed sound good, but it is difficult to imagine that their bearers will really find a common direction. The inner divergence - especially perhaps in the "culture view" - is probably too great. "

On the day of the opening of the exhibition The Apartment on the Weißenhof, Paul Schmitthenner presented his program for the counter-project of the Kochhofsiedlung , which also pursued the same goals. However, this project was not related to the Block Architects' Association. In addition, the project was not implemented until 1933. The title of the building exhibition "German wood for house construction and apartment" had the goal of increasing the use of German wood and thus countering the poor economic situation of the German forest and wood industry. In addition, this building exhibition had a regional character, because almost all of the architects involved, as well as the clubs and associations that supported the project, came from the Stuttgart area.

As a group, the block had no effect; it was rather individual members who were involved in the Kampfbund for German culture and who spread the block's ideas through lectures.

Members

The founding members were the architects

At times the architect Werner Hegemann was also associated with the block, but he and Paul Bonatz resigned at the end of April 1931. Even Fritz Schumacher stated in his "self-talk" to have been a member of this Union of Architects. In addition, the membership of the architect Karl Gruber is documented.

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Die Baukunst, Vol. 4 (1928) Mai-Heft, pp. 128–129.
  2. ^ Caroline Flick: Werner Hegemann (1881-1936) Urban planning, architecture, politics. 2 volumes. Munich: Saur, 2005, (Volume 2) p. 730ff (individual publications by the Historical Commission in Berlin; Volume 84)
  3. ^ Fritz Schumacher: Self-Discussions. Hamburg: Axel Springer Verlag, 1949. pp. 109-113
  4. ^ Andreas Romero: Building history as an order: Karl Gruber. Braunschweig: Vieweg, 1990, p. 132

literature

  • Manfred Ulmer, Jörg Kurz: The Weissenhofsiedlung. History and present. 2nd edition, Hampp Verlag, Stuttgart 2009, ISBN 978-3-936682-05-2 , page 18ff.
  • Matthias Freytag: Stuttgart School of Architecture 1919 to 1933. University of Stuttgart, dissertation, 1996.
  • Wolfgang Voigt, Hartmut Frank (eds.): Paul Schmitthenner 1884–1972. Tübingen: Wasmuth, 2003.

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