The IG Farben Building, completed in 1931 in Frankfurt, remains the most significant architectural project of Hans Poelzig. A figure spanning multiple creative disciplines, he transitioned from designing industrial facilities to shaping the urban landscape of Berlin and beyond. His career mirrored the evolution of 20th-century German design, moving through expressionist influences toward functional, modern institutional aesthetics.
Early Career and Education
Born in 1869 in Berlin, Poelzig received his formal education at the Technische Hochschule Berlin between 1888 and 1893. He began his professional life as an employee at the Ministerium der Öffentlichen Arbeiten from 1895 to 1899. Early recognition of his architectural skill came in 1896 when he received the Schinkel Award. By 1900, he joined the Staatliche Akademie für Kunst und Kunstgewerbe Breslau, where he eventually served as director.
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Poelzig developed a reputation for industrial efficiency, exemplified by projects like the Chemical Plant in Luboń and the Four Domes Pavilion in Wrocław. During the post-World War I era, his stylistic output shifted. His interior redesign of the Berlin Grosses Schauspielhaus in 1919 showcased an expressionist approach, as did his set designs for the 1920 UFA production, The Golem: How He Came Into the World.
Institutional Landmarks
During the 1920s, Poelzig held teaching positions at the Academy of Arts, Berlin and the Technische Hochschule Berlin. He contributed to the urban fabric of Berlin with major commissions including the Haus des Rundfunks, completed in 1929, and Kino Babylon. Despite these successes, he also produced significant unrealized designs, including proposals for the Palace of the Soviets and the League of Nations headquarters in Geneva.
Final Years
In 1933, Poelzig became the interim director of the United State School for Fine and Applied Art following the removal of Bruno Paul. By 1935, he had been awarded first prize for a concert hall and theater project in Istanbul. He retired from his post at the Prussian Academy of Arts on November 30, 1935. Poelzig died in Berlin in 1936 and is buried at the Alter Friedhof Wannsee.
Fast facts
- Born: 1869, Berlin
- Died: 1936, Berlin
- Alma Mater: Technische Hochschule Berlin
- Notable Project: IG Farben Building
- Movement: Expressionist architecture
- Key Award: Schinkel Award (1896)
- Burial Site: Alter Friedhof Wannsee
Questions readers ask
What is the I.G. Farben Building known for?
It is an administration building in Frankfurt, finished in 1931, which later served as the headquarters for American Allied forces after 1945.
Did Poelzig work in film?
Yes, he created architectural set designs for the 1920 film The Golem: How He Came Into the World.
Achievements
- Notable work: IG Farben Building
- Notable work: Haus des Rundfunks
- Notable work: Kino Babylon
- Notable work: Chemical Plant Luboń
- Affiliated with Technische Hochschule Berlin, Staatliche Akademie für Kunst und Kunstgewerbe Breslau and Ministerium der Öffentlichen Arbeiten
- Educated at Technische Hochschule Berlin and Technische Universität Berlin
- Worked as architect, university teacher and military personnel
