Jerzy Ilkosz, Jadwiga Urbanik
The aim of the article is to show Erich Mendelsohn’s relationship with Wrocław, its artists and architects, especially in connection with their artistic views, which in many cases were identical with the worldview of Max Berg (the then chief architect of the city–Stadtbaurat) or Hans Poelzig.
In 1927, Erich Mendelsohn designed a department store in Wrocław for Rudolf Petersdorff’s company, which remains a symbol of modern architecture of the 1920s. The question of Mendelsohn’s relations with Wrocław is interesting. It is possible that his design was influenced by the architecture of the Wrocław proto-modernism of the early years of the 20th century. The architect’s use of reinforced concrete for the construction of the Einstein Tower in Potsdam may be related to Wrocław’s tradition of using this material. Other connections can be made when we compare Mendelsohn’s early sketches of industrial construction with Hans Poelzig’s work from the Breslau period.
In the 1920s, Mendelsohn came to Wrocław many times, mainly in connection with the construction of Rudolf Petersdorff’s department store as well as Weichmann’s silk warehouse in Gliwice and Meyer Kauffmann’s textile factory in Głuszyca (Wüstegiersdorf). He also visited Wrocław earlier, usually on the occasion of his stay in Munich where in 1911 he joined the “Blaue Reiter” circle of artists. His stay in August 1913 was connected with a visit to the newly built Centennial Hall. Mendelsohn probably attended a performance of Gerhard Hauptmann’s play “Festspiel im deutschen Reimen” staged by Max Reinhardt, whose theater he was very interested in at the time. The work of the creator of the Centennial Hall must have had a great impact on the young architect. He described it in his letters to his wife Luize: “The hall, devoid of all decorations and ornaments, proves that we are on the right track to our goal, which is new art, new culture. (…). Since we know the way, how could we not want to follow it to the goal…”.
In Max Berg’s legacy in the Deutsches Museum in Munich, there is a mysterious drawing of the Centennial Hall. It is not signed and stylistically differs from Berg’s drawing style. Instead, it resembles Mendelsohn’s free, thick, dynamic line. It can be assumed that Mendelsohn made it and probably gave it to Berg.
It seems that Mendelsohn was connected to Wrocław not only through the work he built here, but also with Breslau artists, especially Max Berg and Hans Poelzig. His early work is in many ways in line with Berg and Poelzig’s thinking about art and architecture . Erich Mendelsohn’s big-city department store architecture, for which he was famous in the interwar period, also found its anticipation in Wrocław, for example in Hans Poelzig’s office building (1912) or in Max Berg’s projects for the redevelopment of Wrocław (1919-1920).
In turn, Wrocław artists, fascinated by the works of Erich Mendelsohn, organized in the Silesian Museum of Fine Arts in Wrocław, in 1920, an exhibition of the architect, which had previously been shown at the Casirer Gallery in Berlin, entitled. “Architecture of Iron and Concrete”.
Despite being inspired by the works of Wrocław architects, Mendelsohn created his own unique style, different from what was promoted in the interwar period by Gropius, Mies van der Rohe or Le Corbusier. “Purity” and uniqueness of forms created in an organic way (from the inside towards the outside form) have no equal.
JERZY ILKOSZ PhD., Associated Professor. 2000 -2022 – Director of Museum of Architecture in Wrocław. Main fields of interest – history of architecture and town-planning, specially of 20th century. Many papers and reports concerning history of architecture of XX century. Participation in many international conferences. Since 2003 – membership of DOCOMOMO – International Committee for Documentation and Conservation of Buildings, Sites and Neighbourhoods of the Modern Movement. Das Verdienstkreutz Am Bande – awarded in 2006 by Horst Köler, the President of the Federal Republic of Germany. 2009 – Kulturpreis Schlesien des Landes Niedersachsen (Silesia Award from Lower Saxony Government).
JADWIGA URBANIK, Ph.D. Eng. Arch. Associated Professor. Wroclaw University of Science and Technology, Faculty of Architecture. Main fields of interest: history of architecture and town-planning, specially of 20th century. PhD on model, experimental Wroclaw WuWA estate („Dwelling and Workplace Exhibition – Wohnung und Werkraum Ausstellung – and other Werkbund estates”). Taking part in historical urban researches of Wrocław and studies on Wrocław housing estates from the period 1872-1939. Many papers and reports concerning history of architecture and town-planning of XX century. Participation in many international conferences. Designs concerning conservations of Modern Movement buildings.
Since 1990 – membership of DOCOMOMO – International Committee for Documentation and Conservation of Buildings, Sites and Neighbourhoods of the Modern Movement.