The Atlantropa project, a massive engineering scheme designed to lower the Mediterranean Sea level through damming the Strait of Gibraltar and other waterways, originated in the mind of German architect Herman Sörgel in 1927. His ambition sought to generate immense hydroelectric power and integrate Europe and Africa through a vast new continent called Atlantropa.
Background and Education
Born in Regensburg in 1885 to Johann Hans Ritter von Sörgel and Cäcilie Sörgel, Herman Sörgel grew up in a family connected to civil engineering. His father was an engineer who worked on the Walchensee Hydroelectric Power Station. Sörgel attended the Maximiliansgymnasium before completing his architectural studies at the Technical University of Munich between 1904 and 1908. Though his initial PhD thesis faced rejection in Munich, Fritz Schumacher at TU Dresden later graded it as exceptional. He qualified as a government architect in 1910.
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Early in his career, Sörgel served with the Bavarian Building Commission, where he designed the structure attached to the Aufkirchen hydropower station on the river Isar. Beyond design work, he engaged with architectural theory as the editor-in-chief of the journal Die Baukunst. His personal life included a marriage to Babette Ritz in 1914, which ended in 1921, and a second marriage to Irene Villányi, an art dealer, in 1926.
The Atlantropa Concept
Sörgel’s vision for Atlantropa emerged after he read Otto Jessen's book Die Straße von Gibraltar, which suggested the Mediterranean would evaporate if isolated from the Atlantic. Sörgel extrapolated this into a utopian plan involving dams across the Dardanelles and the Congo River to lower sea levels and irrigate the Sahara. He believed this would provide 50% of Europe's power needs. Architects including Erich Mendelsohn, Emil Fahrenkamp, and Johann Friedrich Höger supported or contributed designs to the project.
Final Years
On 25 December 1952, while cycling toward a university lecture, he was struck by a car and killed at age 67. The driver was never identified, leading to speculation regarding his death. He is buried at the Waldfriedhof cemetery in Munich.
Fast facts
- Born: 1885, Regensburg, Germany
- Died: 25 December 1952, Munich, Germany
- Education: Technical University of Munich
- Spouse: Irene Villányi (married 1926)
- Key concept: Atlantropa
- Notable work: Die Baukunst (editor-in-chief)
Questions readers ask
What was the purpose of the Atlantropa project?
It aimed to lower the Mediterranean Sea level to create new land, provide overland access to Africa, and generate massive amounts of hydroelectric power.
How did Herman Sörgel die?
He died in 1952 after being struck by a car while riding his bicycle in Munich; the driver was never found.
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