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The City of Science Darmstadt invites interested citizens to attend the Open Monument Day on Sunday, September 12th. Employees of the Darmstadt monument protection authority present two recently renovated residential buildings by architect Joseph Maria Olbrich (1867-1908) on the Mathildenhöhe, which has been recognized as a world heritage site: Haus Olbrich and Haus Deiters.
The participants are guided through the two houses by employees and can ask questions. The tours start at 10 a.m., 11 a.m., 12 p.m., 2 p.m., 3 p.m. and 4 p.m. and last one hour each. Participation is free of charge. The current regulations to contain the corona pandemic must be observed. For this reason and because of the limited space available, the number of participants is very limited and registration is therefore essential. Registration is only possible by telephone on Wednesday, September 1st and Wednesday, September 8th, from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. on 06151/132937. Further information is available at www.darmstadt.de/denkmalschutz.
“The Viennese architect Joseph Maria Olbrich, appointed by Grand Duke Ernst Ludwig to found the artists’ colony in Darmstadt, quickly advanced to become the leading artistic personality on Mathildenhöhe,” explains City Councilor Michael Kolmer. “He not only designed the architecture of the artists’ houses, but also the interior and the gardens. Visiting the interior, which is rarely possible, therefore offers the opportunity to gain an in-depth look at Olbrich’s work. “
Olbrich placed his own house with the characteristic blue and white tile frieze at the foot of the Ernst Ludwig House. It was largely unchanged there until it was destroyed in the war in 1944. The housing shortage in the post-war period forced a simple reconstruction of the house. The German Poland Institute had its headquarters here for years. In connection with the World Heritage application, the renovation of the Olbrich residential building, which is now home to the German Society for Language and Poetry, began. Despite the destruction of the Second World War and the changes in the reconstruction, authentic traces of Olbrich’s work can be seen.
Olbrich designed Haus Deiters for Wilhelm Deiters, the manager of the first exhibition of the artists’ colony, known as “A Document of German Art”. House Deiters, the smallest house in the colony and designed by Olbrich in a confined space and yet defining the cityscape, was not destroyed. Numerous renovations have changed the building, and since the last repair and restoration, it has returned to its original appearance.
(Text: PM Science City Darmstadt)
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