Meinhard von Gerkan | |
---|---|
Born | [1] | 3 January 1935
Died | 30 November 2022[2] | (aged 87)
Alma mater | Technical University of Braunschweig[3] |
Occupation | Architect |
Meinhard von Gerkan (3 January 1935 – 30 November 2022[1][2]) was a German architect and one of the founders of the architectural firm von Gerkan, Marg and Partners (gmp).[4] Von Gerkan was known for being the architect of Berlin Tegel Airport as well as Berlin Hauptbahnhof ('Berlin main railway station').[5] At the time of his death, Deutsche Welle described him as "Germany's most famous architect".[5]
Early life and education
Meinhard von Gerkan was born on 3 January 1935 in Riga, Latvia, to a Baltic German family.[6][1] He was baptized at St. Peter's Church.[6] Von Gerkan was an only child, and considered his childhood in Riga "idyllic".[6] His family lived on what is now called Eduarda Smiļģa Street , and spent summers in the resort town of Jūrmala, where they stayed at a wooden house.[6]
In 1939, at the age of four, he moved with his family to Poznań when they were forced to emigrate from Latvia.[6] His father was a soldier during World War II, and died on the Eastern Front in 1942.[7] Von Gerkan and his mother left Poznań to settle in Lower Saxony in 1945.[7][8] His mother died shortly afterward, and as an orphan, von Gerkan stayed with a number of foster families before settling with a pastor's family in Hamburg in 1949.[7]
Von Gerkan attended various schools while growing up, including a Waldorf school in Hamburg from which he failed to graduate.[7][9] He eventually graduated with an Abitur from a night school in 1955.[7] Von Gerkan began his university studies in Hamburg, with a focus on law and physics, before transferring to the Technical University of Berlin in 1956 to study architecture.[7] He met his future business partner Volkwin Marg in Berlin.[7] Von Gerkan switched universities again in 1960, transferring to the Technical University of Braunschweig, which he graduated from in 1964.[10]
Berlin Hauptbahnhof
Von Gerkan won the competition to design Berlin Hauptbahnhof in the early 1990s.[11] After von Gerkan completed his design, Deutsche Bahn hired another firm to replace the vaulted ceiling in the design with a flat one, without informing the original architect.[12] Von Gerkan sued Deutsche Bahn, comparing the action to "ripping pages out of a novel", and the judge ruled in favor of von Gerkan, stating that the building had been "considerably defaced" by Deutsche Bahn.[13]
Awards
- Cross of Recognition, Second Class (2021)[14][a]
Personal life
From his first marriage, von Gerkan had two daughters, including costume design professor Florence .[8][16] He was married to his second wife, Sabine Rechenbach, from 1985 until his death.[17][8] They had three children.[10][8] Von Gerkan also had another daughter, model and jewelry designer Manon .[16] In addition, he was related to architect and archaeologist Armin von Gerkan, who served as director of the German Archaeological Institute's department in Rome from 1938 to 1944.[18][19]
Von Gerkan spoke with a Baltic German accent even late in life.[6][20]
Notes
References
- ^ a b c d GmbH, Munzinger-Archiv; Ravensburg. "Meinhard von Gerkan - Munzinger Biographie". munzinger.de (in German). Retrieved 12 December 2022.
- ^ a b c "Meinhard von Gerkan, Founding Partner of gmp Architects, Passes Away at the Age of 87". ArchDaily. Retrieved 12 December 2022.
- ^ "AD Interviews: Meinhard von Gerkan, gmp architekten". ArchDaily. Retrieved 12 December 2022.
- ^ "German architect von Gerkan, who designed Berlin airport, dies at 87". Reuters. Retrieved 12 December 2022.
- ^ a b "Meinhard von Gerkan: Germany's most famous architect dies – DW – 12/01/2022". dw.com. Retrieved 12 December 2022.
- ^ a b c d e f "German traces in Latvia: Meinhard von Gerkan". eng.lsm.lv. Retrieved 12 December 2022.
- ^ a b c d e f g Kilian, Alexandra. ""Ich wurde Architekt aus Leidenschaft – und bin es geblieben"". morgenpost.de (in German). Retrieved 12 December 2022.
- ^ a b c d "Der Architekt der Hauptstadt - WELT". DIE WELT (in German). 23 June 2001. Retrieved 12 December 2022.
- ^ NDR. "Architekt Meinhard von Gerkan mit 87 Jahren gestorben". ndr.de (in German). Retrieved 12 December 2022.
- ^ a b Berlin, Berliner Morgenpost -. "Zur Person: Meinhard von Gerkan". morgenpost.de (in German). Retrieved 12 December 2022.
- ^ "Juristische Dauerposse Berlin-Hauptbahnhof - WELT". DIE WELT (in German). 2 December 2006. Retrieved 12 December 2022.
- ^ "Andreas Zielcke: The bellyache of an architect (30/11/2006) - signandsight". signandsight.com. Retrieved 12 December 2022.
- ^ "Architect wins court case over 'defaced' Berlin station design". the Guardian. Retrieved 12 December 2022.
- ^ vestnesis.lv. "Par apbalvošanu ar Atzinības krustu - Latvijas Vēstnesis". www.vestnesis.lv (in Latvian). Retrieved 12 December 2022.
- ^ "The Cross of Recognition". ?. Retrieved 12 December 2022.
- ^ a b ""Ich bin eine Indianerbraut" - WELT". DIE WELT (in German). 1 May 2004. Retrieved 12 December 2022.
- ^ "Pressemitteilung: Bundespräsident Steinmeier kondoliert zum Tod von Meinhard von Gerkan". Der Bundespräsident (in German). Retrieved 12 December 2022.
- ^ "Gerkan, Armin von | Dictionary of Art Historians". arthistorians.info. Retrieved 12 December 2022.
- ^ "Nachruf auf Architekten: Meinhard von Gerkan als Kämpfer gegen banale Zirkusdekoration". Kölnische Rundschau (in German). Retrieved 12 December 2022.
- ^ "Rīga-born architect von Gerkan dies in Germany". eng.lsm.lv. Retrieved 12 December 2022.
External links
- Profile on gmp.de