Fritz August Breuhaus
Encyclopedia
Fritz August Breuhaus, was born on february 9th, 1883 in Solingen, Germany. He was a famous German
architect
, interior designer, and designer
in the 20th century. He added “de Groot” to the end of his name in 1929. He spread the word of this addition claiming to be the grandson/great-grandson of a reputable painter Breuhaus de Groot. His father, Heinrich Hugo Breuhaus was a dentist and married to his mother Johanne Knipping.
Fritz August Breuhaus father tried to influence his study path, encouraging him to study Mechancical engineering, which he did. He also sat in on architecture lectures and took "Design" (Prof. Theodor Fischer mit Assistent Paul Bonatz), "Decorative design" (Prof. Gustav Halmhuber), "Watercolor painting" (Prof. Treidler). When his father found out he refused to support him any further. Breuhaus was forced to live off a small inheritance from his grandmother.
From 1907 Breuhaus lived and worked in Düsseldorf, where he began the process of designing and planning for the “Garden City Meererbusch”. Breuhaus designed the first house on this 75 hectare residential area in Meerbusch, Buderich. He also live in “house Eichenhof” for part of the process. The houses were built mainly for businessmen and lawyers, but artists also resided there.
Breuhaus then served in World War 1 between 1914 and 1918. He achieved the rank of sergeant, serving in both france and the eastern front. He published a book in 1917 about his experienced named ‘Der Soldat und der Tod. Gespräch in Versen’.
After 1920, Breuhaus had just divorced from his first wife and returned from war. But his career had picked up momentum, even during the post-war slum (WW1). Breuhaus mostly designed houses and country houses for the upper-class. But in 1923 he had also started his own company “Mikado-garages” which specialized in hand-printed textiles. He also designed furniture, lamps, silverware and wallpaper.
The next step in his career showed off his interior design skills. He worked on the interior of the Bremen luxury liner. But Breuhaus’s is most famous for the interiors of the LZ 129 Heidelberg, He used lightweight tubular forms to create very social space, where people are expected to spend their time in the public space, instead of their cramped cabins. It was from these two projects that Breuhaus used to gain the title of Professor from the Free State of Bavaria. He wanted this title because understood the promotional value of an academic title.
The ‘little island’ , was the house he built for his family in Schmargendorf. The home was functional, simple and sophisticated. Much like the rest of his post-war work. The building was surrounded by a courtyard on three sides. He had already designed 50 homes for clients, where he custom designed all the furniture.
Breuhaus died on December 2 1960 in Cologne. He continued working right up till his death. Architect Arthur Gerard, completed any work left undone.
1910- project for a residential complex in the "Villenkolonie Müngersdorf" in Cologne.
1913- castle for family von R. at the Baltic Sea.
1914- Werkbund exhibition 1914 in Cologne.
1920- interior design of his own flat in Cologne.
1921- castle for Countess von S. in Thuringia.
1934- summer house in timber construction on the exhibition "Deutsches Volk - Deutsche Arbeit" in Berlin.
1938- competition design for an administrative and studio district, so-called "UFA-Filmstadt" in (Potsdam-) Babelsberg.
1940- country house for count P. Y. in Berlin-Dahlem.
1950- country house "Zu den vier Winden" for the mining entrepreneur V. R. in Weiden near Cologne, demolished in 1970
1953- residence "Schwalbenhof" for the manufacturer Erich Kiefer in Gärtringen
1955- Protestant chapel in Glassworks (Taunus)
1960-1961- House for Udo Giulini in Heidelberg
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
architect
Architect
An architect is a person trained in the planning, design and oversight of the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to offer or render services in connection with the design and construction of a building, or group of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the...
, interior designer, and designer
Designer
A designer is a person who designs. More formally, a designer is an agent that "specifies the structural properties of a design object". In practice, anyone who creates tangible or intangible objects, such as consumer products, processes, laws, games and graphics, is referred to as a...
in the 20th century. He added “de Groot” to the end of his name in 1929. He spread the word of this addition claiming to be the grandson/great-grandson of a reputable painter Breuhaus de Groot. His father, Heinrich Hugo Breuhaus was a dentist and married to his mother Johanne Knipping.
Fritz August Breuhaus father tried to influence his study path, encouraging him to study Mechancical engineering, which he did. He also sat in on architecture lectures and took "Design" (Prof. Theodor Fischer mit Assistent Paul Bonatz), "Decorative design" (Prof. Gustav Halmhuber), "Watercolor painting" (Prof. Treidler). When his father found out he refused to support him any further. Breuhaus was forced to live off a small inheritance from his grandmother.
From 1907 Breuhaus lived and worked in Düsseldorf, where he began the process of designing and planning for the “Garden City Meererbusch”. Breuhaus designed the first house on this 75 hectare residential area in Meerbusch, Buderich. He also live in “house Eichenhof” for part of the process. The houses were built mainly for businessmen and lawyers, but artists also resided there.
Breuhaus then served in World War 1 between 1914 and 1918. He achieved the rank of sergeant, serving in both france and the eastern front. He published a book in 1917 about his experienced named ‘Der Soldat und der Tod. Gespräch in Versen’.
After 1920, Breuhaus had just divorced from his first wife and returned from war. But his career had picked up momentum, even during the post-war slum (WW1). Breuhaus mostly designed houses and country houses for the upper-class. But in 1923 he had also started his own company “Mikado-garages” which specialized in hand-printed textiles. He also designed furniture, lamps, silverware and wallpaper.
The next step in his career showed off his interior design skills. He worked on the interior of the Bremen luxury liner. But Breuhaus’s is most famous for the interiors of the LZ 129 Heidelberg, He used lightweight tubular forms to create very social space, where people are expected to spend their time in the public space, instead of their cramped cabins. It was from these two projects that Breuhaus used to gain the title of Professor from the Free State of Bavaria. He wanted this title because understood the promotional value of an academic title.
The ‘little island’ , was the house he built for his family in Schmargendorf. The home was functional, simple and sophisticated. Much like the rest of his post-war work. The building was surrounded by a courtyard on three sides. He had already designed 50 homes for clients, where he custom designed all the furniture.
Breuhaus died on December 2 1960 in Cologne. He continued working right up till his death. Architect Arthur Gerard, completed any work left undone.
Other Work
1910- country house "Neugrünewald" with two gate lodges for the factory owner O. R. in Solingen (Rhineland), demolished except for gate lodges1910- project for a residential complex in the "Villenkolonie Müngersdorf" in Cologne.
1913- castle for family von R. at the Baltic Sea.
1914- Werkbund exhibition 1914 in Cologne.
1920- interior design of his own flat in Cologne.
1921- castle for Countess von S. in Thuringia.
1934- summer house in timber construction on the exhibition "Deutsches Volk - Deutsche Arbeit" in Berlin.
1938- competition design for an administrative and studio district, so-called "UFA-Filmstadt" in (Potsdam-) Babelsberg.
1940- country house for count P. Y. in Berlin-Dahlem.
1950- country house "Zu den vier Winden" for the mining entrepreneur V. R. in Weiden near Cologne, demolished in 1970
1953- residence "Schwalbenhof" for the manufacturer Erich Kiefer in Gärtringen
1955- Protestant chapel in Glassworks (Taunus)
1960-1961- House for Udo Giulini in Heidelberg