The German architect Peter Grund (1892-1966) was successful in three political systems: in the Weimar Republic, during the Nazi era and during reconstruction after the Second World War. What does this say about his person and his architecture? Researchers from Fachhochschule Dortmund, TU Dortmund University and Philipps-Universität Marburg have been looking into this. Their work is based on the architect's estate, some of which was already in the garbage dump.
From this, the researchers have reconstructed a previously unpublished book by Peter Grund and recently published it under the title "Der Maßstab im Städtebau" as part of their research work. Before a catalog of his work appears, a volume of essays will be published this year. "This is a core element of the project funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG) and, in addition to the architecture, also takes a critical look at Peter Grund's life and career," says Stephan Gudewer. He is a graduate of Fachhochschule Dortmund, was a research assistant in the project team and is now a lecturer in the Faculty of Architecture. Prof. Dr. Renate Kastorff-Viehmann led the project at the Fachhochschule Dortmund.
Born in Pfungstadt near Darmstadt, Peter Grund worked in Dortmund between 1923 and 1933. Together with Karl Pinno, he planned and executed the construction of Dortmund's Nicolai Church (1929/30) - the first German exposed concrete church. He also designed the Dortmund Chamber of Industry and Commerce (1928).
During the National Socialist era, Peter Grund made a career as director of the state art academy in Düsseldorf, where he planned town halls and parade grounds and, as artistic director, was responsible for the "Schaffendes Volk" exhibition, one of the Nazis' largest propaganda shows. Peter Grund is not considered one of the biggest names among architects in academia. However, his numerous projects in Dortmund, Düsseldorf and Darmstadt are still visible in the cityscape today and bear witness to his success.
Lessons for the present
"His biography gives us an insight into how architects supported the system and quickly adapted to it," says Stephan Gudewer. This applies to his role during the Nazi era as well as to his work in Darmstadt, where he took over as Chief Building Director in 1947 - after a quick denazification - and was responsible for the reconstruction and redesign of the city center. "This also raises questions about the lessons we can learn for the present. And also how we deal with Peter Grund's legacy," says Stephan Gudewer. The research work is intended to make a contribution to this.
To this end, Peter Grund's extensive estate was compiled and digitized. A student at Fachhochschule Dortmund found part of it in 2006 at the home of one of the architect's granddaughters. Another part had ended up in a landfill site in Darmstadt due to inheritance disputes and could be rescued from there. A total of around 8,000 urban and architectural plans, over 500 photos and hundreds of other notes and letters were analyzed. The originals are now in the Baukunstarchiv NRW, the Darmstadt City Archive and the Architecture Museum of the Technical University of Munich.