Villa Wolf in Gubin – A Modernist Milestone by Mies van der Rohe
Architecture is much more than just designing and building spaces – it reflects our history, shapes our cultural heritage and expresses visions for the future. One such visionary work was the Villa Wolf in Gubin, created in 1927 by world-famous architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe. This first radically modern house is considered a milestone in architectural history. Villa Wolf was not only an experiment in modern design, but also a symbol of the dynamism and innovation of the Weimar Republic. However, it was destroyed during the Second World War. Today, almost 100 years after its construction, there is an initiative to rebuild this important building in Gubin – as a joint project of the German-Polish twin town of Guben/Gubin.
What steps have already been taken to rebuild this architectural jewel? How can architecture and history be brought to life in the present?
You can find answers to these questions at our upcoming event:
Villa Wolf in Gubin – a milestone of modernism by Mies van der Rohe
In his lecture, Florian Mausbach, chairman of the Villa Wolf e. V. association, will provide information and shed light on the architectural and contemporary history of this forgotten icon of modern architecture. In addition, Lars Wiedemann will present photographs and collages on the Villa Wolf in an art exhibition that visually depict and support the history and current planning approaches.
How much has been achieved so far?
The mayors of Gubin and Guben, Zbigniew Bołoczko and Fred Mahro, together with the German-Polish association Villa Wolf e. V., are committed to the reconstruction of the war-damaged Villa Wolf in Gubin. The aim of this joint project of the German-Polish twin city is to document and reconstruct Ludwig Mies van der Rohe’s first radically modern house in a 1:1 architectural model as a milestone of modernism.
As part of an academic research project at the Potsdam University of Applied Sciences, the lost blueprints were first reconstructed. An archaeological institute has also uncovered the cellars on behalf of the city of Gubin and verified the dimensions and location of the building. In addition, DOM Publishers has published a trilingual volume, richly illustrated with plans and images, on the history and reconstruction of Villa Wolf. The book was written and compiled by the renowned Mies expert Prof. Dietrich Neumann (Brown University, Providence, USA).
The project is definitely sparking interest and significant progress towards its realization is already apparent. Nevertheless, the question arises as to how to proceed from here – and how realistic the chances of reconstruction actually are.
Florian Mausbach, chairman of the Villa Wolf e. V. association, will provide information in his lecture and report on the architectural and contemporary history of this forgotten icon of modern architecture. To accompany this, Lars Wiedemann will present photographs and collages on the Villa Wolf in an art exhibition that visually underpins the history and current planning approaches.
An event about milestones in modernist architecture, forgotten German-Polish ties, and the value of reconstructions.
About the exhibition:
The 2021 excavation work on the site of the former Villa Wolf in Gubin (PL) uncovered the remains of Villa Wolf. The archaeologists uncovered the cellar floors made of various materials, the remains of the wine cellar, the vault and the moth chamber, as well as tiles on the individual cellar walls that were still present. In the excavated soil, individual
shards from the Wolf collection and fragments of everyday objects were discovered. Traces of the functional use of the building were visible on the cellar walls, stairs and floors. Fragments of electricity and water pipes preserved in the soil for decades, parts of the heating system and measurements left in pencil on the bricks by construction workers came to light. The photographs were taken during various inspections during the excavation work. They are the basis for the collages that visually bring together different time levels. They provide insights into the history of the planning and use of the building and offer a perspective on current planning approaches for the reconstruction of the architecture.
Florian Mausbach (b. 1944) was president of the Federal Office for Building and Regional Planning from 1995 to 2009, responsible for state buildings in Bonn and Berlin as well as embassies and cultural institutes abroad. In 1970, as an architecture student, he launched an initiative to save the Bethanien in Berlin-Kreuzberg, now a listed building, from demolition. In the 1980s, as an urban planner for the city of Frankfurt am Main, he advocated for a high-rise city center that would be compatible with the Gründerzeit quarters. From 1990 to 1995, he was head of the building department in Bielefeld before helping to rebuild Berlin as the capital as head of the Federal Construction Authority.
In 2008, he received the German National Prize as the initiator of the Berlin Freedom and Unity Memorial and in 2017 he wrote the appeal for a memorial to the victims of the German occupation of Poland. He is the chairman of the association for the reconstruction of Villa Wolf.
Lars Wiedemann (b. 1973), lives and works in Berlin. He studied urban and regional planning at the TU Berlin and has been working as a freelance photographer since 2006. The artistic focus of his photography is on the examination of architecture, portraiture, urban and industrial landscapes, which are artistically designed in the form of collages, among other things. His works have been shown in numerous national and international exhibitions, including ‘PEOPLE. PLACES. MOMENTS’ Photography Festival ‘DES VOIES OFF’ (Fotohaus ParisBerlin, Arles/FR) ,AM BERG – BERLIN’ (Zell am See/AT),’POSITION’ Berlin Art Fair / Berlin.
He is represented by Galerie Westphal in Berlin. His next exhibition “neuharz – the future grows from the past” can be seen at the Rammelsberg Museum of World Heritage in Goslar (from May 2025).
An event is a part of the of Exercising Modernity Program
16.01, 18.00 Pilecki Institut Berlin
Pariser Platz 4A, 10117 Berlin
Registration: https://forms.gle/LMsoUb7EHtjcqLBv8
Exhibition opening hours: 16.01 – 23.01, 10:00-18:00