DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.45213#0116
114
Following Poelzig, August Endell became principal in 1918. A distinguished artist, he managed
to attract creative individuals to teach at the Academy: Oskar Moll, Matisse's pupil, from 1918; Otto
Muller from 1919; Lonrad Kardoff, member of the Brucke group, from 1929; architects Adolf Rading
(from 1919), Hans Scharoun (from 1925), and Robert Bednorz. After Endell's death in 1925, Oskar
Moll was appointed principal. Under his leadership, the Academy flourished, with a number of dis-
tinguished artists working there: Hans Scharoun, Adolf Rading, Josef Vinecky (from 1928), Johannes
Molzahn (from 1929), Oskar Schlemmer (from 1929), and Georg Muche (from 1931); the latter three
had connections to the Bauhaus.275
In the late 1920's - early 1930's art schools began to prepare students for co-operation with the
industry, directing the school's design efforts towards mass-production. At the Stadtische Hand-
werker- und Kunstgewerbe Schule this programme was delivered by Siegfried Haertel (glass and
painting on glass), Johanne Gramatte276 (textile art), Hans Beysell and Konrad Scheu (jewellery and
metalwork). At the Academy, Josef Vinecky was active in this area. 277 In the late 1920's the activity
and works of the Academy's faculty and students showed the influence of the Bauhaus and its func-
tionalism.278 The WUWA exhibition was organised at a time when the Academy flourished thanks to
Poelzig's reforms and Endell's policy. It gathered artists representing diverse perspectives, from the
Expressionists to the proponents of New Objectivity (Neue Sachlichkeit) and Constructivism. The
Academy provided an open and stimulating environment for forward-thinking artists. As a result,
the young architects were well prepared to face the tasks entrusted to them in connection with the
WUWA exhibition.
In the years immediately following World War I, the city faced a housing problem of overwhelm-
ing proportions. Efforts were undertaken to create conditions for future improvement: the first gen-
eral spatial development plan forthe city was presented in 1924, new building legislation introduced
in 1926 and the city's administrative boundaries were expanded in 1928 to incorporate a number of
suburban communities, which increased the area available for the housing development.279 Thus
the WUWA exhibition in 1929 came at the right moment. Before the enlargement, Wroclaw was
amongst the most over-populated cities in Germany280 Not only was the quantity of available hous-
ing inadequate but also its quality and technical condition.281
275 Anna MARKOWSKA, 'Problemy...', p.27.
276 Siegfried Haertel and Johanne Gramatte were involved in the WUWA exhibition.
277 Maria STARZEWSKA, op. cit., p. 27.
278 C. BUCHWALD, Sonderau55te//ung des Kunstgewerbevereins fur Breslau und die ProvinzSchlesien. Breslau 1904, p.6. Afer: Ernest NIEMCZYK, Utopie
kultury i artystyczne wizje na przykladzie domow wlasnych architektow. Prace naukowe Instytutu Historii Architektury Sztuki i Techniki Politechniki
Wroclawskiej, no. 17, series: Monografie, no. 9, Wroclaw 1982, p. 18. After: Janusz DOBESZ,'Hans Poelzig i wroclawska Akademia...', p. 23. Modernist
tendencies appeared very early in Wroclaw. The 1904 Decorative Arts Exhibition was a cry against superfluous decoration, artificiality, wavy
Ines (i.e. Art Nouveau) and " the wasteful use of material".
279 Wanda Kononowicz, 'Wroclaw - Kierunki rozwoju urbanistycznego...', p.15. As a result, the city's administrative area grew 3.5 times larger.
See: eadem, 'Ewolucja osiedla...', p.445-446,451; eadem, 'Wroclaw w projektach urbanistycznych...', p.254-257.
280 Eadem, p. 16. In 1924 Wroclaw compared negatively with other German cities (Berlin, Cologne, Frankfurt-am-Mein) in terms of population
density per hectare of administrative area (116.3-Wroclaw, 28.0-Cologne) and one hectare of built-up area (381.3 - Wroclaw, 221.0- Frankfurt).
See: eadem, 'Pierwszy plan generalny...', p.301; eadem, 'Wroclaw w projektach urbanistycznych...', p.249.
281 Eadem, 'Wroclaw - Kierunki rozwoju urbanistycznego...', p. 17. Wanda Kononowicz gives detailed statistical data showing the dire housing
situation in Wroclaw. In 1916, 76 424 people lived in sub-standard conditions, by 1924 the number had risen to 130 000.
Following Poelzig, August Endell became principal in 1918. A distinguished artist, he managed
to attract creative individuals to teach at the Academy: Oskar Moll, Matisse's pupil, from 1918; Otto
Muller from 1919; Lonrad Kardoff, member of the Brucke group, from 1929; architects Adolf Rading
(from 1919), Hans Scharoun (from 1925), and Robert Bednorz. After Endell's death in 1925, Oskar
Moll was appointed principal. Under his leadership, the Academy flourished, with a number of dis-
tinguished artists working there: Hans Scharoun, Adolf Rading, Josef Vinecky (from 1928), Johannes
Molzahn (from 1929), Oskar Schlemmer (from 1929), and Georg Muche (from 1931); the latter three
had connections to the Bauhaus.275
In the late 1920's - early 1930's art schools began to prepare students for co-operation with the
industry, directing the school's design efforts towards mass-production. At the Stadtische Hand-
werker- und Kunstgewerbe Schule this programme was delivered by Siegfried Haertel (glass and
painting on glass), Johanne Gramatte276 (textile art), Hans Beysell and Konrad Scheu (jewellery and
metalwork). At the Academy, Josef Vinecky was active in this area. 277 In the late 1920's the activity
and works of the Academy's faculty and students showed the influence of the Bauhaus and its func-
tionalism.278 The WUWA exhibition was organised at a time when the Academy flourished thanks to
Poelzig's reforms and Endell's policy. It gathered artists representing diverse perspectives, from the
Expressionists to the proponents of New Objectivity (Neue Sachlichkeit) and Constructivism. The
Academy provided an open and stimulating environment for forward-thinking artists. As a result,
the young architects were well prepared to face the tasks entrusted to them in connection with the
WUWA exhibition.
In the years immediately following World War I, the city faced a housing problem of overwhelm-
ing proportions. Efforts were undertaken to create conditions for future improvement: the first gen-
eral spatial development plan forthe city was presented in 1924, new building legislation introduced
in 1926 and the city's administrative boundaries were expanded in 1928 to incorporate a number of
suburban communities, which increased the area available for the housing development.279 Thus
the WUWA exhibition in 1929 came at the right moment. Before the enlargement, Wroclaw was
amongst the most over-populated cities in Germany280 Not only was the quantity of available hous-
ing inadequate but also its quality and technical condition.281
275 Anna MARKOWSKA, 'Problemy...', p.27.
276 Siegfried Haertel and Johanne Gramatte were involved in the WUWA exhibition.
277 Maria STARZEWSKA, op. cit., p. 27.
278 C. BUCHWALD, Sonderau55te//ung des Kunstgewerbevereins fur Breslau und die ProvinzSchlesien. Breslau 1904, p.6. Afer: Ernest NIEMCZYK, Utopie
kultury i artystyczne wizje na przykladzie domow wlasnych architektow. Prace naukowe Instytutu Historii Architektury Sztuki i Techniki Politechniki
Wroclawskiej, no. 17, series: Monografie, no. 9, Wroclaw 1982, p. 18. After: Janusz DOBESZ,'Hans Poelzig i wroclawska Akademia...', p. 23. Modernist
tendencies appeared very early in Wroclaw. The 1904 Decorative Arts Exhibition was a cry against superfluous decoration, artificiality, wavy
Ines (i.e. Art Nouveau) and " the wasteful use of material".
279 Wanda Kononowicz, 'Wroclaw - Kierunki rozwoju urbanistycznego...', p.15. As a result, the city's administrative area grew 3.5 times larger.
See: eadem, 'Ewolucja osiedla...', p.445-446,451; eadem, 'Wroclaw w projektach urbanistycznych...', p.254-257.
280 Eadem, p. 16. In 1924 Wroclaw compared negatively with other German cities (Berlin, Cologne, Frankfurt-am-Mein) in terms of population
density per hectare of administrative area (116.3-Wroclaw, 28.0-Cologne) and one hectare of built-up area (381.3 - Wroclaw, 221.0- Frankfurt).
See: eadem, 'Pierwszy plan generalny...', p.301; eadem, 'Wroclaw w projektach urbanistycznych...', p.249.
281 Eadem, 'Wroclaw - Kierunki rozwoju urbanistycznego...', p. 17. Wanda Kononowicz gives detailed statistical data showing the dire housing
situation in Wroclaw. In 1916, 76 424 people lived in sub-standard conditions, by 1924 the number had risen to 130 000.