Martinplatz (Langenfeld) settlement
The Martinplatz settlement of the Langenfeld building association was built between 1949 and 1956 and has been a monument since 1996.
History
The municipality of Langenfeld, which was elevated to a town in 1948, endeavored from 1947 to be recognized as a focus municipality for housing needs. This step was justified with considerable war damage , the influx of refugees and industrial companies as well as the occupation of living space by occupation troops . In terms of control policy, the city made use of the building association to remedy this emergency . At this point in time, the building association itself had existed since 1919, founded in order to unite all forces involved in housing construction, i.e. private individuals , companies and local authorities , to act together. Corresponding occupancy rights could and can be obtained by purchasing shares. Against this background, the Steinrausch settlement was built between World War I and World War II . The work on the further construction came to a standstill in 1941 due to the effects of the war. The last houses started were only completed up to the upper edge of the basement . Construction was only resumed in 1945, and the first new buildings began in 1948 . At this increased commitment owned then by Heinrich Rotterdam designed and built from 1949 settlement Martin Place, also in the local situation Steinrausch .
The settlement
The houses Jahnstrasse 27–65 , Martinplatz 2–14 , Martinstrasse 33–63 and 48–64 , the houses Querstrasse 1–5 and the buildings Richrather Strasse 94–112 belong to the settlement . On the rectangular site , following the Steinrausch settlement, two concepts were built. The original design of elongated blocks of houses was retained on Richrather Strasse, but the apartment buildings on the east side of Jahnstrasse were staggered and freely constructed in a park-like area. The houses are accessed via branch paths and are in a high-quality environment due to the effectively placed groups of trees. Lawns , wide green areas , playgrounds , carpet rails and clotheslines round off the generous design. Also of high quality are the low brick surrounds and paved paths that have been preserved everywhere . Overall, the settlement offers a very uniform appearance despite several construction phases. Although the houses are of different lengths, they are all two-story , plastered and covered with pitched roofs. In the beginning, the apartments were simple and small, but over time they were built according to changing views up to the standard size and equipment of today's apartments.
The construction stages
In the first phase of construction with the houses on Martinplatz , Martinstrasse 59–63, 60–64 and Richrather Strasse 94/96 , the houses were made of alluvial stone, plastered with Trier lime mortar and ceilings made of reinforced concrete . The partition walls were brick use, the roof was made of wood built. Here the apartments are still very small, sometimes there are four apartments per floor. There are also three apartments per floor, in the basement a laundry room and drying room, and additional chambers in the attic . Four shops were set up on Martinplatz, two of which still function as such.
In 1950/51 the houses Martinstrasse 48–58 and Richrather Strasse 98–112 were built. These are already equipped with only two apartments per floor. Now two rooms , an eat-in kitchen , hallway and bathroom belong to the equipment of the residential units .
In 1952 the elongated building block with a basket arched gate passage was built on Martinstraße, each entrance with two apartments per floor, kitchen-living room, hall, bathroom and one to three rooms per unit. In addition, the houses have a bicycle cellar and apartments also have a roof area. The first collective garages were built behind the houses at Martinstrasse 48–58 from 1953.
The houses at Querstraße 1–5 and Jahnstraße 27-65, built between 1954 and 1956, have two or three apartments per floor. These apartments are characterized by two to three rooms, a kitchen, hallway and bathroom.
All houses are in good original condition and still have wooden shutters on the ground floor , original doors, original roofs and lanterns . Very small apartments were merged from 1970 onwards and some roof windows were installed.
The reason for the monument value
The housing construction program of the building association was dominated by the reconstruction of the city after the destruction of the war. The settlement is thus connected to the more recent architectural history as well as the general reorientation after 1945. The development can be traced on the basis of the construction phases. Initially, blocks of flats built along the street dominated the picture until, in a second phase, urban loosening, spaciousness and the integration of the architecture into a natural environment prevailed. The influences of Le Corbusier's Charter of Athens are evident here. Ebenezer Howard's idea of a garden city and a size appropriate to the residential unit as a city's concept of structure find expression here.
The apartments show a comparable development in terms of their size and structure. Initially, considerations from the times of need of the 1920s, but also savings ideas of the Third Reich were continued . From 1950 onwards, the apartments were better equipped and living standards that are valid today are established. Even the merging of the smallest apartments in this sense is a development that is primarily taking place within the settlement, but is of general importance for residential construction in Langenfeld. In this respect, the settlement and the client are closely linked to the city and its history. The continuation of the building association while retaining the subscription rights acquired before the war is also important here.
It can also be assumed that Bernhard Rotterdam , son of Heinrich Rotterdam, who later became known nationwide for his church buildings (e.g. St. Paulus in Berghausen ) , was involved in the planning and design of the Martinplatz estate. Even if his name does not appear officially, his cooperation is considered likely. Overall, because of its role model function in terms of green spaces, and because of its architectural and urban planning aspects, the estate was therefore listed as a historical monument in 1996.
Individual evidence
- ^ "Expert opinion on the monument value of the Steinrausch settlement in Langenfeld", Pulheim 1994
- ↑ a b c d "Expert opinion on the monument value of the Martinplatz settlement in Langenfeld", Pulheim 1996
Web links
- Lower monument authority of the city of Langenfeld ( Memento from February 28, 2011 in the Internet Archive )
- List of monuments
Coordinates: 51 ° 7 '12 " N , 6 ° 56" 54.4 " E