Forests house in Kohler Village
The Wälderhaus in Kohler Village is an establishment in the Kohler Foundation, Wisconsin, administered by the Kohler Foundation .
background
Johann Michael Kohler (1844–1900), who came from Schnepfau in the western Austrian state of Vorarlberg , had emigrated with his parents to the USA (Wisconsin) and, shortly before his death, had a new large production facility built west of Sheboygan (Wisconsin) after a successful entrepreneurial career. One of his sons, Walter Jodok Kohler (1875–1940), who later also became governor of Wisconsin, renamed the company "Kohler Company", a major manufacturer of bathroom and kitchen furnishings. In 1912 Walter began building an attractive industrial model town for the Kohler employees , which became known as the Kohler Village .
idea
One of Walter Jodok Kohler's sisters, Marie Christine Kohler (1876–1943) was active in the social, philanthropic and corporate management fields and made a name for herself beyond Wisconsin. She was a co-founder of the Kohler Foundation (Kohler Foundation), founded a variety of social and health-promoting organizations and institutions in the state of Wisconsin and the United States in general.
Marie Christine Kohler was also the main force behind the construction of the forest house. In 1929, the architect Kaspar Albrecht , who also came from the Bregenz Forest, was commissioned to build the so-called Wälderhaus , a copy of the Schnepfau family home of the company founder Johann Michael Kohler , on the edge of the model settlement Kohler Village .
The project gave her the opportunity to implement several wishes. The building was supposed to be a reminder of her father and her family origins. In addition, it served as the seat of the Kohler Women's Club , the local branch of the Girl Scouts, and was a public meeting place for lectures and small performances.
Building the house
The Austrian architect Kaspar Albrecht designed the building in the traditional style of the ( Bregenzerwald ), a region in the western Austrian state of Vorarlberg . The terrace, living room and study have been preserved in their original style. The lower floor received a modern kitchen, a dining room as well as dressing rooms and cloakrooms for the public on the main floor.
On the second floor there is a kitchen in the traditional Bregenzerwald style, which contains items brought from Austria by the Kohler family. The second floor also has a study , a living room , a bedroom in traditional style and a meeting room for the Girl Scouts , which was dedicated to Sir Robert Baden-Powell , the founder of the Boy Scout Movement.
The third floor contains the supervisor's apartment with two bedrooms, a living room, a kitchen and a bathroom. The cloakroom for theater performances is also on the third floor.
The interior of the building, officially inaugurated in July 1931. contains many valuable carvings, wrought iron craftsmanship, stained glass, Austrian furniture and tapestries.
Events
Most of the lectures of the "Kohler Distinguished Guest Series" started in early 1944 took place in the building. Until the opening of the Kohler Memorial Theater at Kohler High School in 1957, the Wälderhaus was the venue for many musical and performing arts events. The building still serves the Kohler Foundation for special social events.
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b c d e Article in the English language Wikipedia
- ↑ Article Beautiful Waelderhaus At Kohler Village Dedicated , In: The Sheboygan Press of July 27, 1931, p. 8
- ↑ WAELDERHAUS EVENTS on the website www.kohlerfoundation.org
Coordinates: 43 ° 43 ′ 58 " N , 87 ° 46 ′ 49.5" W.