Current exhibition "110 Years of Behrensbau. Architecture and History."

The Behrensbau is unique in the world. It is named after its architect Peter Behrens, a universal genius in whose office Mies van der Rohe, Le Corbusier and Hans Walter Gropius worked at times.

The Behrensbau is not only exceptional because of its architecture, but it also symbolises the economic and political history of North Rhine-Westphalia. Its façade appears monumental, almost cold, but has a turbulent history. It also housed many refugees who came to Düsseldorf in 2015. A graffiti picture drawn by the residents now also hangs in the exhibition. Initially, the Behrensbau was the headquarters of the Mannesmann corporate board, once the largest employer in Düsseldorf. The exhibition also contains historical photos of the Mannesmann trial, including the Victory photo of the then Deutsche Bank boss Josef Ackermann.

In addition, the curators have brought together beautiful Art Nouveau and Art Deco objects from all over the world. The original coffee service that Peter Behrens designed for Kaiser Kaffee is a milestone in design history. And of course the world-famous iconic painting "The Kiss", which Peter Behrens designed in 1898. An interview with Academic Associate Axel Timmermann.

 8 July 2023

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DÜSSELDORF

Name: Axel Timmermann

Occupation: Academic associate at Haus der Geschichte NRW

"Many people don't even know the building yet because you were never allowed in."

What makes the Behrensbau so special in your eyes?

In my eyes, what makes the building unique is that it can be used in so many ways. Here in the exhibition we have a large open space that was created because the outer and inner walls can support. In the middle, the building doesn't need load-bearing walls, and that was revolutionary for the time. Also the fact that people could work in daylight through the large window front. They had created a very beautiful modern office building, but with a monumental façade.

The façade seems intimidating to some people. How is the building actually received by people?

The façade was built with natural stone and therefore has a fortress character. From the outside, it has a defensive attitude. But it was also a representative architecture desired by the corporation and the normal Düsseldorf citizen had no business here. The employees never went through the main portal, only the board of directors. Many people still don't know the building at all because you were never allowed in. Until 2000, the building was still owned by Mannesmann, later on the headquarters of Vodaphone and then it was used by the state government. Only we as a museum make it possible to visit the rooms. Accordingly, we have to rededicate the architecture, which has a defensive attitude. Our green portal works well because people realise that they can get in.

Peter Behrens, Hans Walter Gropius, Le Corbusier, Mies van der Rohe: "It's the only building they worked on together."

The building also has a worldwide uniqueness because of the architects involved, Peter Behrens, Walter Gropius, Le Corbusier, Mies van der Rohe.

It is the only building they worked on together. But you have to put it into perspective, because Gropius and Le Corbusier will have played a minor role. They can only have worked on the designs, because we were able to prove that they were no longer working in the office at the time of construction. Who played an important role was Mies Van der Rohe, who did the detailed drawings in Behrens' studio. Later, he visited the neighbouring high-rise and mentioned in this context that he had designed the staircase.

The staircase stands out in its design, because we otherwise have clear edges, right angles, rectangles and squares as design elements. The staircase, on the other hand, is curved and counteracts the whole.

The construction time is said to have taken only 2 years. Here in Düsseldorf, people still have to get used to the number 10 years in the discussion about the new opera.

The figure is even too high, because it was only 19 months. It was probably possible with a large amount of personnel. However, we found nothing to prove the short construction time.

Are you an architect yourself? What is your favourite piece from the exhibition?

I am a historian specialising in public history and employed as a research assistant. I must refer to the building itself and the original panelling in the boardroom on the 2nd floor, which is a listed building. Thankfully, we were able to dismantle it and bring it here to the exhibition. So you can bring the flair of 1912 here into the exhibition.

The exhibition 110 Years of Behrensbau. Architecture and History in the Behrensbau on Mannesmannufer in Düsseldorf can be seen from 24 May to 5 November 2023.

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Behrensbau ©Axel Thuenker

The world-famous iconic painting "The Kiss", which Peter Behrens designed in 1898. Unfortunately, however, it is only a copy, because the original, a woodcut, is in the MoMa in New York.

The exhibition also contains historical photos of the Mannesmann trial, including the Victory photo of the then Deutsche Bank boss Josef Ackermann.