WalterGropius

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WalterAdolphGeorgGropius(18May
18835July1969)wasaGermanarchitect
andfounderoftheBauhausSchool,[1]who,
alongwithLudwigMiesvanderRohe,Le
CorbusierandFrankLloydWright,iswidely
regardedasoneofthepioneeringmastersof
modernarchitecture.

WalterGropius

Contents
1Earlylife
2Earlycareer(190814)
3Bauhausperiod(191932)
4PostBauhaus(193345)
5Death
6Legacy
7Quotes
8Selectedbuildings
9References
10Bibliography
11Furtherreading
12Externallinks

Earlylife
BorninBerlin,WalterGropiuswasthethird
childofWalterAdolphGropiusandManon
AugustePaulineScharnweber(18551933).
In1915GropiusmarriedAlmaMahler(1879
1964),widowofGustavMahler.Walterand
Alma'sdaughter,namedManonafterWalter's
mother,wasbornin1916.WhenManondied
ofpolioatage18,in1935,composerAlban
BergwrotehisViolinConcertoinmemoryof
her(itisinscribed"tothememoryofan
angel").GropiusandAlmadivorcedin1920.
(Almahadbythattimeestablisheda
relationshipwithFranzWerfel,whomshe
latermarried.)On16October1923,Gropius
marriedIlse(laterchangedtoIse)Frank,and
theyremainedtogetheruntilhisdeathin1969.

WalterGropius(circa1919).PhotobyLouisHeld
Born

WalterAdolphGeorgGropius
18May1883
Berlin,GermanEmpire

Died

5July1969(aged86)
Cambridge,Massachusetts,UnitedStates

Nationality German
Occupation Architect
Spouse(s)

AlmaMahler,IseGropius

Children

ManonGropius,Beate("Ati")Gropius

Awards

AIAGoldMedal (1959)
AlbertMedal (1961)
GoethePrize (1961)

Practice

PeterBehrens(190810)
TheArchitects'Collaborative(194569)

Buildings

FagusFactory
WerkbundExhibition(1914)
Bauhaus
GropiusHouse
MaxvonLaue
UniversityofBaghdad
J.F.KennedyFederalBuilding

Theyadoptedadaughtertogether,Beate
Gropius,knownasAti.[2]IseGropiusdiedon
9June1983inLexington,Massachusetts.[3]

PanAmBuilding

Earlycareer(190814)

Gropiusinhissergeantuniform
duringWorldWarI

WalterGropiuswasdraftedAugust1914andservedasasergeant
andthenasalieutenantinthesignalcorpsintheFirstWorldWar.[4]
Hesurvivedbeingbothburiedunderrubbleanddeadbodies,and
shotoutoftheskywithadeadpilot.HewasawardedtheIronCross
twice.[5]Gropiusthen,likehisfatherandhisgreatuncleMartin
Gropiusbeforehim,becameanarchitect.Gropiuscouldnotdraw,
andwasdependentoncollaboratorsandpartnerinterpreters
throughouthiscareer.Inschoolhehiredanassistanttocompletehis
homeworkforhim.In1908,afterstudyingarchitectureinMunich
andBerlinforfoursemesters,Gropiusjoinedtheofficeofthe
renownedarchitectandindustrialdesignerPeterBehrens,oneofthe
firstmembersoftheutilitarianschool.[3]Hisfellowemployeesatthis
timeincludedLudwigMiesvanderRohe,LeCorbusier,andDietrich
Marcks.

In1910GropiusleftthefirmofBehrensandtogetherwithfellow
employeeAdolfMeyerestablishedapracticeinBerlin.Together
theysharecreditforoneoftheseminalmodernistbuildingscreatedduringthisperiod:theFaguswerkin
AlfeldanderLeine,Germany,ashoelastfactory.AlthoughGropiusandMeyeronlydesignedthe
facade,theglasscurtainwallsofthisbuildingdemonstratedboththemodernistprinciplethatform
reflectsfunctionandGropius'sconcernwithprovidinghealthfulconditionsfortheworkingclass.The
factoryisnowregardedasoneofthecrucialfoundingmonumentsofEuropeanmodernism.Gropiuswas
commissionedin1913todesignacarforthePrussianRailroadLocomotiveWorksinKnigsberg.This
locomotivewasuniqueandthefirstofitskindinGermanyandperhapsinEurope.[6]Otherworksofthis
earlyperiodincludetheofficeandfactorybuildingfortheWerkbundExhibition(1914)inCologne.
In1913,Gropiuspublishedanarticleabout"TheDevelopmentofIndustrialBuildings,"whichincluded
aboutadozenphotographsoffactoriesandgrainelevatorsinNorthAmerica.Averyinfluentialtext,this
articlehadastronginfluenceonotherEuropeanmodernists,includingLeCorbusierandErich
Mendelsohn,bothofwhomreprintedGropius'sgrainelevatorpicturesbetween1920and1930.[7]
Gropius'scareerwasinterruptedbytheoutbreakofWorldWarIin1914.Calledupimmediatelyasa
reservist,GropiusservedasasergeantmajorattheWesternfrontduringthewaryearsandwaswounded
andalmostkilled.[8]GropiuswasawardedanIronCross(whenitstillmeantsomething,heconfided
tohisfriendChesterNagel)whilefightingforfouryearsforGermanyontheWesternFront.[9]

Bauhausperiod(191932)
Gropius'scareeradvancedinthepostwarperiod.HenryvandeVelde,themasteroftheGrandDucal
SaxonSchoolofArtsandCraftsinWeimarwasaskedtostepdownin1915duetohisBelgian
nationality.HisrecommendationforGropiustosucceedhimledeventuallytoGropius'sappointmentas
masteroftheschoolin1919.ItwasthisacademywhichGropiustransformedintotheworldfamous
Bauhaus,attractingafacultythatincludedPaulKlee,JohannesItten,JosefAlbers,HerbertBayer,

LszlMoholyNagy,OttoBartningandWassilyKandinsky.Inprinciple,theBauhausrepresentedan
opportunitytoextendbeautyandqualitytoeveryhomethroughwelldesignedindustriallyproduced
objects.TheBauhausprogramwasexperimentalandtheemphasis,wastheoretical.[10]Oneexample
productoftheBauhauswasthearmchairF51,designedfortheBauhaus'sdirectorsroomin1920
nowadaysareeditionin
themarket,manufactured
bytheGermancompany
TECTA/Lauenfoerde.
In1919,Gropiuswas
involvedintheGlass
Chainutopian
expressionist
WalterGropius'sMonumenttothe
correspondenceunderthe
MarchDead(1921)dedicatedtothe
pseudonym"Mass."
Bauhaus(built192526)inDessau,
memoryofnineworkerswhodiedin
Usuallymorenotablefor
Germany
WeimarresistingtheKappPutsch
hisfunctionalist
approach,the"Monument
totheMarchDead,"designedin1919andexecutedin1920,indicatesthatexpressionismwasan
influenceonhimatthattime.
In1923,Gropiusdesignedhisfamousdoorhandles,nowconsideredaniconof20thcenturydesignand
oftenlistedasoneofthemostinfluentialdesignstoemergefromBauhaus.WalterGropiusdesignedthe
newlyconstructedschoolbuildingin1925onbehalfofthecityofDessau.Gropiuscollaboratedwith
CarlFieger,ErnstNeufertandotherswithinhisprivatearchitecturalpractice.[11]Healsodesignedlarge
scalehousingprojectsinBerlin,KarlsruheandDessauin192632thatweremajorcontributionstothe
NewObjectivitymovement,includingacontributiontotheSiemensstadtprojectinBerlin.

PostBauhaus(193345)
TheriseofHitlerinthe1930sdroveGropiusoutofGermany.
WiththehelpoftheEnglisharchitectMaxwellFry,Gropiuswas
abletoleaveNaziGermanyin1934,onthepretextofmakinga
temporaryvisittoItalyforafilmpropagandafestivalhethen
fledtoBritaintoavoidthefascistpowersofEurope.Helived
andworkedinBritain,aspartoftheIsokongroupwithFryand
othersandthenmovedontotheUnitedStateswithhisfamily.
WalterGropiusandhissecondwife,IseGropius,arrivedinthe
UnitedStatesinFebruary1937,whiletheirtwelveyearold
GropiusHouse(1938)inLincoln,
daughter,Ati,finishedtheschoolyearinEngland.[12]Though
Massachusetts
builtin1938,theGropiusesbelievedtheirhousecouldembody
architecturalqualitiessimilartothosepracticedtoday,suchas
simplicity,economy,andaestheticbeauty.[12]Indesigninghishouse,Gropiususedtheapproach
developedattheBauhaus.ThehousetheGropiusesbuiltforthemselvesinLincoln,Massachusetts(now
knownasGropiusHouse),wasinfluentialinbringingInternationalModernismtotheU.S.,butGropius
dislikedtheterm:"ImadeitapointtoabsorbintomyownconceptionthosefeaturesoftheNew
EnglandarchitecturaltraditionthatIfoundstillaliveandadequate."[13]HelenStorrow,abanker'swife
andphilanthropist,becameGropius'sbenefactorwhensheinvestedaportionofherlandandwealthfor
thearchitect'shome.Shewassosatisfiedwiththeresultthatshegavemorelandandfinancialsupportto

fourotherprofessors,twoofwhomGropiusdesignedhomesfor.WiththeBauhausphilosophyinmind,
everyaspectofthehomesandtheirsurroundinglandscapeswereplannedformaximumefficiencyand
simplicity.GropiusshousereceivedahugeresponseandwasdeclaredaNationalLandmarkin2000.[14]

GropiuswithHarry
SeidlerinSydney,1954

GropiusandhisBauhausprotgMarcelBreuerbothmovedtoCambridge,
Massachusetts,toteachattheHarvardGraduateSchoolofDesignand
collaborateonprojectsincludingTheAlanIWFrankHouseinPittsburgh
andthecompanytownAluminumCityTerraceprojectinNewKensington,
Pennsylvania,beforetheirprofessionalsplit.In1938hewasappointed
chairmanoftheDepartmentofArchitecture,aposthehelduntilhis
retirementin1952.[15]GropiusalsosatontheMassachusettsInstituteof
Technology(MIT)VisitingCommitteeattheendofhiscareer.Thewell
knownarchitectdesignedtheRichardsandChildresidencehallsonthe
Harvardcampusthatwerebuiltinthe1950s.[16]In1944,hebecamea
naturalizedcitizenoftheUnitedStates.

In1946,Gropiusfoundedtheyoungarchitectsassociation,TheArchitects'
Collaborative(TAC),amanifestationofhislifelongbeliefinthesignificanceofteamwork,whichhe
hadalreadysuccessfullyintroducedattheBauhaus.BasedinCambridgewithagroupofyounger
architects,whichtheoriginalpartnersincludedNormanC.Fletcher,JeanB.Fletcher,JohnC.Harkness,
SarahP.Harkness,RobertS.MacMillan,LouisA.MacMillen,andBenjaminC.Thompson.Onework
producedbythisofficeistheGraduateCenterofHarvardUniversityinCambridge(1949/50).[17]TAC
wouldbecomeoneofthemostwellknownandrespectedarchitecturalfirmsintheworld.TACwent
bankruptin1995.
In1967,GropiuswaselectedintotheNationalAcademyofDesignasanAssociatememberandbecame
afullAcademicianin1968.

Death
Gropiusdiedon6July1969inBoston,Massachusetts,aged86.WalterGropiuswasdiagnosedwithan
illnessthatconsistedofaninflammationoftheglands,andwasadmittedtothehospitalon7June.After
anecessaryoperationperformedon15Juneendedsuccessfullytherewashopeofafullrecovery.
Gropiusdescribedhimselfasatougholdbirdandcontinuedtomakeprogressforaboutaweek.His
lungsbecamecongestedandcouldnotsupplyproperamountsofoxygentothebloodandbrainandhe
lostconsciousnessanddiedinhissleepearlySundaymorning.[18]

Legacy
Today,GropiusisrememberednotonlybyhisvariousbuildingsbutalsobythedistrictofGropiusstadt
inBerlin.Intheearly1990s,aseriesofbooksentitledTheWalterGropiusArchivewaspublished
coveringhisentirearchitecturalcareer.TheCDaudiobookBauhausReviewed191933includesa
lengthyEnglishLanguageinterviewwithGropius.
Uponhisdeathhiswidow,IseGropius,arrangedtohavehiscollectionofpapersdividedintoearlyand
latepapers.BothpartswerephotographedwithfundsprovidedbytheThyssenFoundation.Thelate
papers,relatingtoGropius'scareerafter1937,andthephotosoftheearlyones,thenwenttothe
HoughtonLibraryatHarvardUniversitytheearlypapersandphotosofthelatepaperswenttothe

BauhausArchiv,theninDarmstadt,sincereestablishedinBerlin.[19]Mrs.Gropiusalsodeededthe
GropiusHouseinLincolntoHistoricNewEnglandin1980.TheGropiushousewasaddedtothe
NationalRegisterofHistoricPlacesin1988andisnowavailabletothepublicfortours.[14]
In1959hereceivedtheAIAGoldMedal.

Quotes
Wewanttocreatethepurelyorganicbuilding,boldlyemanatingitsinnerlaws,freeofuntruths
orornamentation.WalterGropius[3]
"Theultimateaimofallartisticactivityisbuilding!...Architects,sculptors,painters,wemustall
getbacktocraft!...Theartistisaheightenedmanifestationofthecraftsman....Letusform...a
newguildofcraftsmenwithouttheclassdivisionsthatsetouttoraiseanarrogantbarrierbetween
craftsmenandartists!...Letustogethercreatethenewbuildingofthefuturewhichwillbeallin
one:architectureandsculptureandpainting."WalterGropius[20]
"Architecturebeginswheretheengineeringends"WalterGropius[21]
WalterGropiushasbeendescribedas"oneofthefewactualinventorsofmodernarchitecture,
thecreatoroftheworldfamousBauhausandthemostfamousarchitecturalteacheralive."[22]
"TheBauhausstrivestobringtogetherallcreativeeffortintoonewhole,toreunifyallthe
disciplinesofpracticalartsculpture,painting,handicrafts,andthecraftsasinseparable
componentsofanewarchitecture.Theultimate,ifdistant,aimoftheBauhausistheunifiedwork
ofartthegreatstructureinwhichthereisnodistinctionbetweenmonumentalanddecorative
art.TheBauhauswantstoeducatearchitects,painters,andsculptorsofalllevels,accordingto
theircapabilities,tobecomecompetentcraftsmenorindependentcreativeartistsandtoforma
workingcommunityofleadingandfutureartistcraftsmen.Thesemen,ofkindredspirit,will
knowhowtodesignbuildingharmoniouslyintheirentiretystructure,finishing,ornamentation,
andfurnishing."WalterGropius,AimsoftheprogramoftheStaatlicheBauhausinWeimar1919
[23]

TheBauhauscouldbecomeahavenfromeccentricsifitweretolosecontactwiththeworkand
workingmethodsoftheoutsideworld.Itsresponsibilityconsistsineducatingpeopletorecognize
thebasicnatureoftheworldinwhichtheylive,andincombiningtheirknowledgewiththeir
imaginationsotobeabletocreatetypicalformsthatsymbolizethatworld.Whatisimportant
then,istocombinethecreativeactivityoftheindividualwiththebroadpracticalworkofthe
world!"WalterGropius,TheViabilityoftheBauhausIdea,1922(lettertotheBauhaus
masters)[23]
TheBauhauswasnotaninstitutionitwasanidea.MiesvanderRohe,itslastdirector1953
[24]

Selectedbuildings
191011theFagusFactory,AlfeldanderLeine,Germany
1914OfficeandFactoryBuildingsattheWerkbundExhibition,1914,Cologne,Germany
1921SommerfeldHouse,Berlin,GermanydesignedforAdolfSommerfeld
1922competitionentryfortheChicagoTribuneTowercompetition
192532BauhausSchoolandFaculty,Housin,Dessau,Germany
1936VillageCollege,Impington,Cambridge,England
193666OldChurchStreet,Chelsea,London,England
1937TheGropiusHouse,Lincoln,Massachusetts,USA
1939Waldenmark,WrightstownTownship,Pennsylvania(withMarcelBreuer)

194244AluminumCityTerracehousingproject,New
Kensington,Pennsylvania,USA
194559MichaelReeseHospital,Chicago,Illinois,USA
Masterplanned37acre(150,000m2)siteandledthe
designforatleast8oftheapprox.28buildings.
194950HarvardGraduateCenter,Cambridge,
Massachusetts,USA(TheArchitects'Collaborative)[25]
195152HuntingtonMuseumofArt,Huntington,West
Virginia,USA.Originalbuildingexpandedinthe1970s
withlittlealterationtotheoriginalstructure.
AluminumCityTerrace(1944)
195760UniversityofBaghdad,Baghdad,Iraq
196366JohnF.KennedyFederalOfficeBuilding,
Boston,Massachusetts,USA
1948PeterThacherJuniorHighSchool,
195759Dr.andMrs.CarlMurchisonHouse,
Provincetown,Massachusetts,USA(TheArchitects'
Collaborative)
195863PanAmBuilding(nowtheMetlifeBuilding),
NewYork,withPietroBelluschiandprojectarchitects
EmeryRoth&Sons
1957InterbauApartmentblocks,Hansaviertel,Berlin,
TheAlanIWFrankHouse
Germany,withTheArchitects'CollaborativeandWils
Ebert
1960TempleOhebShalom(Baltimore,Maryland)
1960theGropiusstadtbuildingcomplex,Berlin,Germany
1961TheawardwinningWaylandHighSchool,Wayland,Massachusetts,USA(demolished
2012)
195961EmbassyoftheUnitedStates,Athens,Greece(TheArchitects'Collaborativeand
consultingarchitectPericlesA.Sakellarios)
1968GlassCathedral,ThomasGlassworks,Amberg
196769TowerEast,ShakerHeights,Ohio,wasGropius'slastmajorproject.
197380PortoCarras,atChalkidiki,Greece,wasbuiltposthumouslyfromGropiusdesigns,itis
oneofthelargestholidayresortsinEurope.
ThebuildinginNiederkirchnerstrae,Berlin,knownastheGropiusHausisnamedforGropius'sgreat
uncle,MartinGropius,andisnotassociatedwithBauhaus.

References
1. Bauhaus(http://www.tate.org.uk/learn/onlineresources/glossary/b/bauhaus),TheTateCollection,retrieved18
May2008
2. "RecollectionsbyAtiGropiusJohansen,daughterofWalterandIseGropius"
(http://www.architects.org/architectureboston/articles/recollectionsatigropiusjohansendaughterwalterand
isegropius),ArchitectureBoston,Summer2013issue:AmericanGropius(Volume16n2)
3. "IseGropius(Frank)"(http://bauhausonline.de/en/atlas/personen/isegropiusfrank).bauhausonline.de.
4. Isaacs,pp.3841
5. PaulDavies(30April2013)"WalterGropius"(http://www.architecturalreview.com/reviews/walter
gropius/8646993.article).architecturalreview.com.
6. Isaacs,pp.25and29
7. AmericanColossus:theGrainElevator18431943(http://www.americancolossus.com/),ColossusBooks,
2009.americancolossus.com
8. "WalterAdolphGropius18831969"
(http://www.bbc.co.uk/bbcfour/audiointerviews/profilepages/gropiusw1.shtml).BritishBroadcasting
Corporation.Retrieved2August2006.

9. "Tiestothepast"(http://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2014/03/tiestothepast/).news.harvard.edu(19
March2014)
10. Isaacs,pp.6672
11. TheBauhausBuildingbyWalterGropius(http://www.bauhausdessau.de/thebauhausbuildingbywalter
gropius.html/).bauhausdessau.de
12. GropiusHouseHistory(http://www.historicnewengland.org/historic
properties/homes/Gropius%20House/gropiushousehistory/).HistoricNewEngland
13. GropiusHousebyWalterGropius(http://www.galinsky.com/buildings/gropiushouse/).galinsky.com
14. "WalterGropius"(http://www.ncmodernist.org/gropius.htm).ncmodernist.org
15. "WalterGropius"(http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/246573/WalterGropius/2889/Harvardyears).
EncyclopaediaBritannica.
16. "GSASResidenceHalls"(http://www.gsas.harvard.edu/current_students/gsas_residence_halls.php/).
gsas.harvard.edu.
17. "WalterGropius"(http://bauhausonline.de/en/atlas/personen/waltergropius).bauhausonline.de.
18. Isaacs,p.311
19. "Gropius,Walter,18831969.Additionalpapers"
(http://oasis.lib.harvard.edu/oasis/deliver/findingAidDisplay?_collection=oasis&inoid=4352&histno=1).
HoughtonLibrary,HarvardUniversity,OnlineFindingAid.Retrieved4June2012.
20. "BauhausMovement,ArtistsandMajorWorks|TheArtStory"(http://www.theartstory.org/movement
bauhaus.htm).theartstory.org
21. PaulDavies(30April2013)"WalterGropius"(http://www.architectural
review.com/reviews/reputations/waltergropius/8646993.article).architecturalreview.com.
22. "ThetheatreprojectsofWalterGropius.WendellColeObservatoriespaisescnics"
(http://espaciosescenicos.org/ThetheatreprojectsofWalterGropiusWendellCole).espaciosescenicos.org.
23. "Designinthe20thCentury//Art208"(http://courses.washington.edu/vcd208/syllabus_quotesbauhaus.html).
courses.washington.edu.
24. Isaacs,p.68
25. HarvardGraduateCenterWalterGropiusGreatBuildingsOnline
(http://www.greatbuildings.com/buildings/Harvard_Graduate_Center.html).greatbuildings.com

Bibliography
Isaacs,Reginald(1991).WalterGropius:AnillustratedBiographyoftheCreatoroftheBauhaus
(FirstEnglishlanguageEditioned.).Berlin:BulfinchPress.ISBN0821217534.

Furtherreading
TheNewArchitectureandtheBauhaus,WalterGropius,1935.
TheScopeofTotalArchitecture,WalterGropius,1956.
FromBauhaustoOurHouse,TomWolfe,1981.
TheWalterGropiusArchive,Routledge(publisher),19901991.

Externallinks
Designerportraitonrosenthalusa.com

Wikiquotehasquotations
relatedto:WalterGropius
WikimediaCommonshas
mediarelatedtoWalter
Gropius.

(http://www.rosenthalusa.com/1288d872/GROPIUS_Walter.htm)
MoreinformationonGropius'searlyyearsattheBauhaus(http://content.cdlib.org/view?

docId=tf5779n7f0&chunk.id=bioghist1.7.3&brand=oac)canbefoundinhiscorrespondencewith
LilyHildebrandt,withwhomhehadanaffairbetween191922:GettyResearchInstitute,
California.
BauhausReviewed191933audiobooklinernotesatLTM
(http://www.ltmrecordings.com/bauhausreviewednotes.html)
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Categories: 1883births 1969deaths 20thcenturyAmericanarchitects ArchitectsfromBerlin
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