Adolf Behne facts for kids
Adolf Bruno Behne (born July 13, 1885, died August 22, 1948) was an important German writer and thinker. He wrote about art and architecture. He also worked to make art and architecture better. Behne was a key leader in the "Avant Garde" movement. This was a group of artists and thinkers who wanted to create new and exciting art. He lived during the time of the Weimar Republic in Germany.
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Early Life and Studies
Adolf Behne was born in Magdeburg, a city in Germany. He first studied architecture for a short time. After that, he studied the history of art in Berlin. This helped him understand how art and buildings changed over time.
His Work in Art and Architecture
Behne joined a group called the Deutscher Werkbund. This group wanted to connect art with everyday life and design. In 1918, he became a leader in another group called the Arbeitsrat für Kunst. This group aimed to bring artists and architects together. They wanted to create new art for a new society.
Expressionist Architecture
In 1913, Behne wrote about the architect Bruno Taut. In his writing, Behne helped create the term "Expressionist architecture". This was a new style of building. It focused on showing feelings and emotions through design. Soon, Behne became one of the main people promoting this style. He was good friends with artists from a group in Magdeburg called 'The Ball'. He believed that art and architecture should be much closer. He was also influenced by the ideas of Jakob von Uexküll, a scientist who studied how living things experience the world.
Teaching Career
Behne taught at the University of Berlin. But in 1933, the Nazis came to power. They stopped him from teaching because they did not like his ideas. After World War II, from 1945 to 1948, he became a professor again. He taught at the National University for Fine Arts in Berlin. He was also part of an architect group called Der Ring.
Buildings He Designed
Even though he was an architect, Adolf Behne did not build many projects. However, he did design one important building. Between 1932 and 1936, he built the main reception building for the train station in Düsseldorf.
Later Life
Adolf Behne passed away in Berlin. His hometown of Magdeburg honored him by naming a street after him. It is called Behneweg.
