Adolf Falke (28 January 1888 in Brome – 6 June 1958) was a German architect, draughtsman, designer, stage designer [1] and municipal politician. [2]
After attending a village school near Gifhorn, Falke contracted polio at the age of eight, which resulted in a shortened leg as a lifelong disability. However, the cantor of the village school supported him and enabled Falke to attend the Leibnizschule Hannover . [ citation needed] After his Abitur in 1910, Falke studied architecture at the Gottfried-Wilhelm-Leibniz-Universität Hannover [1] and at the Technical University of Munich from 1910 to 1914. [3] In Hanover, he became a member of the Bauhütte zum Weißen Blatt . Because of his walking disability, he was not drafted as a soldier during World War I, [2] but was able to work as an employee in the construction office of the Keksfabrik Bahlsen with the sculptor and architect Bernhard Hoetger on the plans for Bahlsen's TET-Stadt . [1]
From 1919, Falke ran his own architectural practice and was appointed as a member of the Bund Deutscher Architekten in 1920. [1] In his office, Falke taught the later architect Hans Klüppelberg how to draw, from which a lifelong friendship developed. [4] The later Stadtbaurat Rudolf Hillebrecht also wanted to design in a "modern" way[ citation needed] and therefore, after his studies, initially worked for Falke from 15 August 1933 to 15 February 1934, [5] from which a paternal-friendship relationship developed. [2]
In 1926, Falke won the competition for a so-called "standard clock": according to his futurism type design, the city of Hanover placed around 20 " Falke-Uhr " in the city. [2] Even today, of the listed buildings [6] "Reklameuhren", ten copies are exposed in various locations in Hanover. [7]
Around 1930, Falke was decisively involved in the construction of the housing estate Liststadt in Hanover. This is acknowledged on a city plaque. During the Third Reich, however, Falke was Berufsverbot by the Reich Chamber of Culture in 1937, as he was married to the Jewish Therese Danziger. [2] Nevertheless, he was able to continue working secretly, and was rewarded for this with publicly invisible commissions from former clients and friends. [2]
As early as September 1945, Falke was commissioned by the British military government to prepare an association of architects. After a good year, the Bund Deutscher Architekten (Association of German Architects), which had been brought into line by the Nazis in 1934, was re-founded in Lower Saxony on 1 November 1946, and Falke held its chair until 1956. In addition, Falke was a member of the Expert Advisory Board ("Baupflege-Beirat") of the city of Hanover. [8] The former councillor Falke fulfilled his former pupil Rudolf Hillebrecht's wish for a letter of recommendation for the British military authorities and thereby played a decisive role in Hillebrecht's further career. [2]
During the reconstruction of the Café Kröpcke as a provisional building for the Export Messe 1947, Falke was one of the participants in a limited architectural competition, which was finally won in 1948 by the design of Dieter Oesterlen. [9]
Falke worked until the last year of his life. He died at age 70 and was buried at the Stadtfriedhof Nackenberg. [8]
Falke not only designed commercial buildings, but also furniture, lamps and jewellery. In addition, he created stage designs [8] for the Kestnergesellschaft and the Schauspiel Hannover. [2] The following are known of his works:
From 1948 onwards, Falke built various commercial buildings in the centre of Hanover, including:
Adolf Falke (28 January 1888 in Brome – 6 June 1958) was a German architect, draughtsman, designer, stage designer [1] and municipal politician. [2]
After attending a village school near Gifhorn, Falke contracted polio at the age of eight, which resulted in a shortened leg as a lifelong disability. However, the cantor of the village school supported him and enabled Falke to attend the Leibnizschule Hannover . [ citation needed] After his Abitur in 1910, Falke studied architecture at the Gottfried-Wilhelm-Leibniz-Universität Hannover [1] and at the Technical University of Munich from 1910 to 1914. [3] In Hanover, he became a member of the Bauhütte zum Weißen Blatt . Because of his walking disability, he was not drafted as a soldier during World War I, [2] but was able to work as an employee in the construction office of the Keksfabrik Bahlsen with the sculptor and architect Bernhard Hoetger on the plans for Bahlsen's TET-Stadt . [1]
From 1919, Falke ran his own architectural practice and was appointed as a member of the Bund Deutscher Architekten in 1920. [1] In his office, Falke taught the later architect Hans Klüppelberg how to draw, from which a lifelong friendship developed. [4] The later Stadtbaurat Rudolf Hillebrecht also wanted to design in a "modern" way[ citation needed] and therefore, after his studies, initially worked for Falke from 15 August 1933 to 15 February 1934, [5] from which a paternal-friendship relationship developed. [2]
In 1926, Falke won the competition for a so-called "standard clock": according to his futurism type design, the city of Hanover placed around 20 " Falke-Uhr " in the city. [2] Even today, of the listed buildings [6] "Reklameuhren", ten copies are exposed in various locations in Hanover. [7]
Around 1930, Falke was decisively involved in the construction of the housing estate Liststadt in Hanover. This is acknowledged on a city plaque. During the Third Reich, however, Falke was Berufsverbot by the Reich Chamber of Culture in 1937, as he was married to the Jewish Therese Danziger. [2] Nevertheless, he was able to continue working secretly, and was rewarded for this with publicly invisible commissions from former clients and friends. [2]
As early as September 1945, Falke was commissioned by the British military government to prepare an association of architects. After a good year, the Bund Deutscher Architekten (Association of German Architects), which had been brought into line by the Nazis in 1934, was re-founded in Lower Saxony on 1 November 1946, and Falke held its chair until 1956. In addition, Falke was a member of the Expert Advisory Board ("Baupflege-Beirat") of the city of Hanover. [8] The former councillor Falke fulfilled his former pupil Rudolf Hillebrecht's wish for a letter of recommendation for the British military authorities and thereby played a decisive role in Hillebrecht's further career. [2]
During the reconstruction of the Café Kröpcke as a provisional building for the Export Messe 1947, Falke was one of the participants in a limited architectural competition, which was finally won in 1948 by the design of Dieter Oesterlen. [9]
Falke worked until the last year of his life. He died at age 70 and was buried at the Stadtfriedhof Nackenberg. [8]
Falke not only designed commercial buildings, but also furniture, lamps and jewellery. In addition, he created stage designs [8] for the Kestnergesellschaft and the Schauspiel Hannover. [2] The following are known of his works:
From 1948 onwards, Falke built various commercial buildings in the centre of Hanover, including: