DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.45213#0120
I The WUWA exhibition (general description)
119
In the late 1920s, the local community of architects, grouped around the Academy, maintained close
contacts with the European avant-garde. Although the centres of the "new architectural reality"
were distant, the city did not stay behind and actively pursued new ideas.
In 1929 the Silesian section of the Werkbund organised the Wohnung und Werkraum (Living and
Work Space) exhibition to present various types of affordable small- and medium-sized apartments,
essential for alleviating the housing problem in Wroclaw.
There are no reliable records regarding any earlier plans to set up the WUWA exhibition 290, se-
lecting architects and the venue.291 The local administration was not in favour of the progressive
architects. After the departure of Max Berg (1870-1947) from his post of Stadtbaurat (City Architect),
responsible for overseeing construction activity in the city, in 1925292, there was no exponent of
Neues Bauen in the municipal planning authority. It is known that the negotiations with the Mu-
nicipality began in the fall of 1927 and did not go smoothly. Many compromises proved necessary.
Hans Poelzig mediated.293 A hard battle had been fought in the local parliament and press before
the plans for the exhibition were approved but finally, despite the difficult economic situation, the
290 Ibidem, p.341. Rothenberg wrote that preparations for the exhibition took three years.
291 Johannes CRAMER, Niels GUTSCHOW, Bauausstellungen. Eine Archi tekturgeschichte des2O.Jahrhunderts. Stuttgart 1984, p.138.
292 Wanda Kononowicz, 'Wroclaw - Kierunki rozwoju urbanistycznego...', p.49. Max Berg held the office of Stadtbaurat (City Architect) from
December 17th 1908 through to January 30th 1925.
293 Lubomir SLAPETA, Vladimir SLAPETA,'50 Jahre WUWA', Bauwelt 1979, vol.70, 35, p.1427. Heinrich Lauterbach in the letter dated May 27th 1961
to Ernst Scheyer (Detroit) wrote: 'Behrendt asked Poelzig, a member of the DWB's Executive Board, whom he had known earlier in Wroclaw,
to intercede. Poelzig recommended Effenberger and Heim to mediate between Siedlungsgesellschaft A.G. and the ten architects. They both
had already collaborated with SiedIungsgeselIschaft A.G. on the Popowice and Sgpolno projects and their views were closer to Behrendt and
Rading's than to mine'.
119
In the late 1920s, the local community of architects, grouped around the Academy, maintained close
contacts with the European avant-garde. Although the centres of the "new architectural reality"
were distant, the city did not stay behind and actively pursued new ideas.
In 1929 the Silesian section of the Werkbund organised the Wohnung und Werkraum (Living and
Work Space) exhibition to present various types of affordable small- and medium-sized apartments,
essential for alleviating the housing problem in Wroclaw.
There are no reliable records regarding any earlier plans to set up the WUWA exhibition 290, se-
lecting architects and the venue.291 The local administration was not in favour of the progressive
architects. After the departure of Max Berg (1870-1947) from his post of Stadtbaurat (City Architect),
responsible for overseeing construction activity in the city, in 1925292, there was no exponent of
Neues Bauen in the municipal planning authority. It is known that the negotiations with the Mu-
nicipality began in the fall of 1927 and did not go smoothly. Many compromises proved necessary.
Hans Poelzig mediated.293 A hard battle had been fought in the local parliament and press before
the plans for the exhibition were approved but finally, despite the difficult economic situation, the
290 Ibidem, p.341. Rothenberg wrote that preparations for the exhibition took three years.
291 Johannes CRAMER, Niels GUTSCHOW, Bauausstellungen. Eine Archi tekturgeschichte des2O.Jahrhunderts. Stuttgart 1984, p.138.
292 Wanda Kononowicz, 'Wroclaw - Kierunki rozwoju urbanistycznego...', p.49. Max Berg held the office of Stadtbaurat (City Architect) from
December 17th 1908 through to January 30th 1925.
293 Lubomir SLAPETA, Vladimir SLAPETA,'50 Jahre WUWA', Bauwelt 1979, vol.70, 35, p.1427. Heinrich Lauterbach in the letter dated May 27th 1961
to Ernst Scheyer (Detroit) wrote: 'Behrendt asked Poelzig, a member of the DWB's Executive Board, whom he had known earlier in Wroclaw,
to intercede. Poelzig recommended Effenberger and Heim to mediate between Siedlungsgesellschaft A.G. and the ten architects. They both
had already collaborated with SiedIungsgeselIschaft A.G. on the Popowice and Sgpolno projects and their views were closer to Behrendt and
Rading's than to mine'.