20 Kitchen, designed by Theo Effenberger, 1929. The Wrocław Museum of Architecture, Mat IIIb 533-14
21 Detached house no. 35, designed by Heinrich Lauterbach, hallway, 1929. The Wrocław Museum of Architecture, Mat IIIb 1032-7
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3.2 Silesian Section of the German Werkbund In 1925, the Silesian Section of the German Werkbund (Schlesischer
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Landesverband des Deutschen Werkbundes – the DWB) was founded and was headed by Wrocław architect, Heinrich Lauterbach. Even though the Werkbund was thought to be a very progressive organisation (proof of which was the exhibition in Stuttgart), many of its members were in favour of a more traditional approach towards architecture. The prestige of the Silesian Section increased dramatically when they launched the initiative of a new housing exhibition. They had the intension of becoming its patron and propose solutions within the concept of ”Neues Bauen” (”Modern Architecture”). The exhibition took place in 1929 under the name ”Living and Working Space Exhibition” (”Wohnung und Werkraum” Ausstellung – WuWA). Its aim was to present different types of small and medium flats of huge social importance.
44 WuWA
3. Concept of the exhibition and the WuWA housing estate
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ROTHENBERG Adolf, Die Werkbund – Ausstellung 1929 in Breslau, ”Ostdeutsche Bau-Zeitung-Breslau”, vol. 27, no. 47, 1929, p. 341. Rothenberg wrote that the preparation of the exhibition took three years. Johannes CRAMER, Niels GUTSCHOW, op.cit., p. 138. Wanda KONONOWICZ, Wrocław – Kierunki rozwoju urbanistycznego..., p. 49. Max Berg held the post of City Advisor for Construction from December 17th 1908 to January 30th 1925. Lubomir ŠLAPETA, Vladimir ŠLAPETA, 50 Jahre WuWA, ”Bauwelt”, vol. 70, no. 35, 1979, p. 1427. In his letter to Ernst Scheyer from Detroit (May 27th 1961) Heinrich Lauterbach wrote: Behrendt engaged Poelzig from the board of the DWB in Berlin as an intermediary. They had known each other from Wrocław. Poelzig introduced two other intermediaries between the City, the Wrocław Housing Estate Association (Siedlungsgeselschaft Breslau A.G.), ten architects, Effenberger, and Heim, who had had some connections with the Association (executing projects in the districts of Popowice and Sępolno) and were ideologically closer to Behrendt than Rading and me. ”Schlesiens Handwerk und Gewerbe”, vol. 10, no. 25, 1929, p. 289.