Fritz Spannagel

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Fritz Spannagel (born August 13, 1891 in Basel , † May 21, 1957 in Ittendorf ) was a German architect , university professor and author of specialist books.

Career

Fritz Spannagel grew up in Freiburg im Breisgau . There he attended secondary school, after which he began an apprenticeship as a carpenter. After successfully completing his carpenter apprenticeship, he attended the Nuremberg School of Applied Arts and the Munich School of Applied Arts . He then studied as a guest student at the Technical University of Munich , among others with the architect and urban planner Theodor Fischer (1862–1938), whose students included architects such as Richard Riemerschmid (1868–1957) or Bruno Taut (1880–1938). In 1907 Fischer was one of the co-founders of the Deutscher Werkbund and participated in the creation of the garden city in Hellerau.

After completing his studies, Spannagel headed the drawing office of the Deutsche Werkstätten Hellerau for eight months , before working as an assistant to Adelbert Niemeyer (1867–1932) in his workshop in Munich for two years . Niemeyer was a co-founder of the Munich Secession and the German Werkbund. He and Fischer had a decisive influence on Spannagel’s training as an architect.

From September 1914 to March 1916 Fritz Spannagel served as a war volunteer. After retiring from military service, he settled in Munich as a freelance architect in 1917. In the following two years he mainly designed residential buildings, housing developments and interior fittings in Munich , Überlingen and Karlsruhe .

From 1920 to 1928, Spannagel taught as a professor in the architecture class at the State Art School in Karlsruhe . He wrote numerous books on woodworking, especially on the woodturning trade , some of which are now available as reprints . Spannagel’s works were on view in the “1920s in Karlsruhe” exhibition at the Städtische Galerie Karlsruhe . In addition to his teaching activities, Spannagel also worked as a freelance architect. For example, in 1928 he designed plans for the “Rosengartenblock” residential complex in Heidelberg in the New Objectivity style .

From October 1, 1928, Fritz Spannagel headed the higher technical college for furniture construction and interior design in the city of Berlin , which had emerged from the former carpenter school in Berlin and whose international reputation rose rapidly under Spannagel’s direction. In addition, Spannagel worked as an honorary inspector of all arts and crafts schools in Prussia. He hired his former student from Karlsruhe, Karl Nothhelfer (1900–1980), who worked as a specialist teacher in Berlin until 1945 and made a name for himself as an author of specialist literature. In 1929 Fritz Spannagel initiated the exhibition "Cheap, beautiful living" , which delighted the public and the trade press alike. During the summer show of 1932 on the subject of “Sun, Air and House for Everyone” , he also showed designs by Walter Gropius (1883–1969) and Eugen Eiermann (1904–1970). Spannagels work at the higher technical school for furniture construction and interior design was considered to be trend-setting, he was technically unassailable in the renewal of the technical school curriculum and therefore received a lot of praise from the professional world.

As a result of targeted denunciations within the teaching staff, but also by competing architects, as a non-member of the NSDAP after January 30, 1933, he quickly fell into disrepute among the new rulers. As early as April 1933, he was removed from office and, after unsuccessful attempts at rehabilitation, retired in April 1934.

Spannagel then retired to his house in Hödingen on Lake Constance. He worked again as an architect and worked as a specialist author for magazines for furniture construction and interior design, carpentry and handicrafts. In addition, Spannagel intensified his contacts with the publisher Otto Maier (1891–1952) from Ravensburg , whose house he had designed as an architect and whose publishing house he had been publishing his specialist books since 1933. For example, during the Second World War, the comprehensive work Die Bauschreinerei was created , which he dedicated to Heinrich Tessenow (1876–1950). His most important publication was the specialist book “Der Möbelbau” , first published in 1936 , which is still an important standard work for carpenters and which appeared in Spanish in 1946, so that Fritz Spannagel is still valued as a specialist author in South America. In Germany, “Der Möbelbau” appeared in ten editions up to 1954, the 22nd edition from 2018 is an unchanged reprint of the 10th edition.

meaning

Spannagel 's success was mainly based on his ability to clearly emphasize the essentials and to describe and present them in a practical manner in a simple, understandable form. He succeeded in combining practical craftsmanship with comprehensive theory. On the one hand, he wanted a return to craftsmanship qualities and values, on the other hand, a change in contemporary furniture construction, which was dominated by an overpowering furniture industry, against which traditional craftsmanship could hardly assert itself. Spannagel saw his publications as a contribution to strengthening the craft.

In this sense, he is seen as a traditionalist who avoided costly effort and cumbersome formations, rather sparingly and not very innovatively, and who aimed above all for solidly processed material, simple shapes and careful spatial equipment. Fritz Spannagel advocated furniture construction in the “New Objectivity” style , especially the designs by Ferdinand Kramer (1898–1985) and Adolf Gustav Schneck (1883–1971). Along with Henry van de Velde (1863–1957), Bruno Paul (1874–1968), Josef Hoffmann (1870–1956), Peter Behrens (1868–1940) and Erich Dieckmann (1896–1944), he was one of the most important furniture and interior designers its time.

Publications

  • Light woodwork . Otto Maier Verlag Ravensburg 1933
  • Furniture making . Otto Maier Verlag Ravensburg 1936
  • Our home furniture . Otto Maier Verlag Ravensburg 1937
  • The turner's workshop . Otto Maier Verlag Ravensburg 1940
  • Turned devices . Otto Maier Verlag Ravensburg 1941
  • The young carpenter . Otto Maier Verlag Ravensburg 1949
  • The joinery - doors and gates . Otto Maier Verlag Ravensburg 1949

literature

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b Ralf Buchholz: "About this book and its author" in Fritz Spannagel: Der Möbelbau
personal data
SURNAME Spannagel, Fritz
BRIEF DESCRIPTION German architect, university professor and author of specialist books
DATE OF BIRTH August 13, 1891
PLACE OF BIRTH Basel
DATE OF DEATH May 21, 1957
Place of death Ittendorf