The house owner and the architect
Until 1899, Theodor Wiegand, the successful excavator of Priene, Miletus, Didyma and Samos, lived in Constantinople and served as the representative for the Berlin Museum. In the following year he married Marie von Siemens, daughter of Georg Siemens, whom he had met when she visited the excavation at Priene. In 1911, he was named Director of the Department of Antiquity at the Berlin Museum and moved to Berlin. As a modern scholar, who pursued a thorough exploration of whole cities and landscapes, he brought an unusual broad dimension to the study of archaeology. Wiegand likewise strove to create a private house whose architecture would be of the highest standards and ahead of its time and therefore commissioned one of the most talented architects Peter Behrens for this house building project.
Behrens began his carrier as a painter and in 1899 was in the artist circle of the Mathildenhöhe in Darmstadt where he was permitted to design and build his own house. With this first architecture design Behrens became famous and in 1907, after having been the Director of the School of Art and Design in Düsseldorf, he was called to Berlin by the AEG to serve as designer and architect. He designed products for this company with such craftsmanship that many of them are now in museum collections. His reputation as a innovative architect began in 1909 when he designed the AEG turbine factory in Berlin-Moabit.
Wiegand Haus
On a large lot in the newly developed villa quarter of Dahlem (Peter-Lenné Str. 28-30), Behrens designed for Wiegand not a country home, but a model villa in a classical style that alluded to the occupation of the owner which was characteristic of Behrens’ work at this point in time. All of his designs from this period featured clear, horizontal forms, sharp classical moldings and cool materials. As owner of the villa, Wiegand, inspired by classical architecture revealed during his excavations, had himself determined the form of certain formal details; therefore the front of the house facing the street is taken up by a peristyle similar to that of House 33 in Priene dating from the Hellenistic period. Behrens changed the function of this intimate inner courtyard allowing him to forgo the inclusion of a simple gable while retaining representative elements for the facade. Moreover, Behrens' modern classicism is expressed in an open-mindedness towards all technical innovations. Thus, glass blocks were utilized for the coffered ceiling of the peristyle (the first to be seen in private houses) in order to lighten the effect of the heavy architecture.
Peter Behrens was greatly inspired by Karl Friedrich Schinkel. His influence is apparent in the formation of the ground plan. With Wiegand House, it shows itself also in the arrangement of four corner rooms around a central room and through the addition of asymmetrical elements like the arcaded walkway carried by the heavy columns. Furthermore, the influence of Schinkel can be seen in the type of roofing and overall in the interior decoration. Both architects postulated that they created "complete works of art" designing the wallpaper, carpeting and curtains as well as the encompassing architecture.
The ground plan of Wiegand House is determined by the representative ground floor with its six palatial rooms furnished with expensive furniture made from a variety of materials. It is a rare occurrence when representative rooms of such houses still retain their original furnishings to such an extent.
Wiegand House - Location of the Berlin Head Office of the DAI
The former location of the Deutsches Archäologisches Institut on Maienstraße was severely damaged during the war and it was fortuitous that in 1957 the home of the earlier president of the Deutsches Archäologisches Institut could be acquired. During the 150th anniversary celebration of the DAI in 1979, the federal government furnished the means for the restoration of Wiegand House and placed it under the protection of historical monuments. Today, this protected monument serves as the seat of the president of the DAI and is the meeting place for the central management. Source
Behrens began his carrier as a painter and in 1899 was in the artist circle of the Mathildenhöhe in Darmstadt where he was permitted to design and build his own house. With this first architecture design Behrens became famous and in 1907, after having been the Director of the School of Art and Design in Düsseldorf, he was called to Berlin by the AEG to serve as designer and architect. He designed products for this company with such craftsmanship that many of them are now in museum collections. His reputation as a innovative architect began in 1909 when he designed the AEG turbine factory in Berlin-Moabit.
Wiegand Haus
On a large lot in the newly developed villa quarter of Dahlem (Peter-Lenné Str. 28-30), Behrens designed for Wiegand not a country home, but a model villa in a classical style that alluded to the occupation of the owner which was characteristic of Behrens’ work at this point in time. All of his designs from this period featured clear, horizontal forms, sharp classical moldings and cool materials. As owner of the villa, Wiegand, inspired by classical architecture revealed during his excavations, had himself determined the form of certain formal details; therefore the front of the house facing the street is taken up by a peristyle similar to that of House 33 in Priene dating from the Hellenistic period. Behrens changed the function of this intimate inner courtyard allowing him to forgo the inclusion of a simple gable while retaining representative elements for the facade. Moreover, Behrens' modern classicism is expressed in an open-mindedness towards all technical innovations. Thus, glass blocks were utilized for the coffered ceiling of the peristyle (the first to be seen in private houses) in order to lighten the effect of the heavy architecture.
Peter Behrens was greatly inspired by Karl Friedrich Schinkel. His influence is apparent in the formation of the ground plan. With Wiegand House, it shows itself also in the arrangement of four corner rooms around a central room and through the addition of asymmetrical elements like the arcaded walkway carried by the heavy columns. Furthermore, the influence of Schinkel can be seen in the type of roofing and overall in the interior decoration. Both architects postulated that they created "complete works of art" designing the wallpaper, carpeting and curtains as well as the encompassing architecture.
The ground plan of Wiegand House is determined by the representative ground floor with its six palatial rooms furnished with expensive furniture made from a variety of materials. It is a rare occurrence when representative rooms of such houses still retain their original furnishings to such an extent.
Wiegand House - Location of the Berlin Head Office of the DAI
The former location of the Deutsches Archäologisches Institut on Maienstraße was severely damaged during the war and it was fortuitous that in 1957 the home of the earlier president of the Deutsches Archäologisches Institut could be acquired. During the 150th anniversary celebration of the DAI in 1979, the federal government furnished the means for the restoration of Wiegand House and placed it under the protection of historical monuments. Today, this protected monument serves as the seat of the president of the DAI and is the meeting place for the central management. Source
Wiegand House occasionally opens its doors to the general public. Anyone can sign up for a guided tours during "Lange Nacht der Wissenschaften" or "Tag des offenen Denkmals". I realized I was luckier than most of the people when one of my TU advisors acquired a position there. Now I can come for a visit whenever I wish..
Front of the house facing the street, seen from SE
Peter-Lenné Str.
Front of the house, seen from NW
Peter-Lenné Str. on intersection with Drygalskistr.
Peristyle
Peristyle (detail)
Back of the house, inner courtyard and a summer pavilion
Summer pavilion
View from the summer pavilion
The courtyard
Photo: Olga Voronova ©
Further readings:
| Klaus Rheidt - Barbara A. Lutz (Hrsg.) Peter Behrens, Theodor Wiegand und die Villa in Dahlem (2004). |
W. Hoepfner - F. Neumeyer, Das Haus Wiegand von Peter Behrens in Berlin-Dahlem, Das Deutsche Archäologische Institut, Geschichte und Dokumente, Band 6 (1979).
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