Emilie Winkelmann facts for kids

Emilie Winkelmann (born May 8, 1875, in Aken, Germany – died August 1952, Hovedissen near Bielefeld) was a very important architect in Germany. She was the first woman to run her own architecture business without working for someone else. She also worked in big cities like Berlin, Dortmund, and Bochum.

Early Life and Learning

Emilie's father was a teacher. From a young age, she learned how to be a carpenter in her grandfather's building company. She helped with new buildings and fixing old ones.

In 1902, Emilie wanted to study architecture at a university called the Technische Hochschule Hannover. This was a big deal because, at that time, women in Prussia (a part of Germany) were not usually allowed to go to university. But Emilie was allowed to study there as a "guest student." This meant she could attend classes but didn't have all the same rights as other students.

She paid for her studies and living costs by working in a drawing office. However, in 1906, she was not allowed to take the final exam to become a certified architect.

Building a Career

Even though she couldn't take the official exam, Emilie Winkelmann didn't give up. She moved to Berlin and worked for a building company. Soon after, she bravely opened her own office. This made her the first female freelance architect in Germany! Her business grew, and she even hired up to 15 people, mostly young women.

In 1907, Emilie won first place in a competition to design a theater in Berlin. After building the theater in 1908, many rich people wanted her to design their large homes and mansions. She designed beautiful buildings in Berlin, Babelsberg, and Schleswig.

One of her notable projects was the Leistikowhaus, a large apartment building built in Berlin-Charlottenburg between 1909 and 1910. From 1910 to 1912, she designed many country estates in an area called Pommern. She also helped rebuild a mansion for the von Lepel family in Wieck, which was even shown in a newspaper called Bauwelt in 1912.

Later Years

Around 1913, Emilie Winkelmann designed a special building called the "Haus in der Sonne" (House in the Sun) in Babelsberg. This building was meant for independent women who were retiring but still wanted to live on their own. It had modern apartments with kitchens, bathrooms, and even heated balconies.

Another important building she designed was the Viktoria-Studienhaus, built between 1914 and 1915. This building was a unique place for female students in Berlin to live and learn. Today, it's known as the Ottilie-von-Hansemann-Haus and is a historical monument in Berlin-Charlottenburg.

After World War I started in 1914, it became harder for Emilie to continue her work. She faced challenges, including hearing loss. After the war, the style of architecture changed, and it was difficult for her to find as much success as before.

However, she continued to work, especially on modernizing old manor houses and designing new buildings. For example, in the 1920s, she designed Schloss Nieden. From 1939 until 1945, she worked on restoring Schloss Grüntal near Bernau.

At the end of World War II, she lived with one of her clients' families at Gut Hovedissen near Bielefeld. There, she helped rebuild the estate and provided homes for refugees until she passed away in 1952. Emilie Winkelmann's designs for villas and country houses are still considered very modern and impressive today. Many of her buildings are now protected as historic landmarks.

In Babelsberg, there is a special plaque dedicated to Emilie Winkelmann in front of her "House in the Sun," celebrating her contributions.

Selected Works

Here are some of the buildings Emilie Winkelmann designed, all located in Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf, Berlin:

• Landhaus Presber (1907–08)
• Landhaus (1908)
• Leistikowhaus (1909–10)
• Ottilie-von-Hansemann-Haus (1914–15) – This was first called the Victoria Studienhaus.
• Wohnhaus (1925–26)

Literature

• Sonia Ricon Baldessani: Wie Frauen bauen. Architektinnen. Von Julia Morgan bis Zaha Hadid. AvivA Verlag, Berlin, 2001., ISBN: 3-932338-12-X, pp. 24–33.
• Kerstin Dörhöfer: Pionierinnen in der Architektur. Eine Baugeschichte der Moderne. Wasmuth Verlag, Tübingen 2004, ISBN: 3 8030 0639 2
• Jürgen Schröder: Deutschlands erste Architektin. Emilie Winkelmann baute auch in Vorpommern. In: Heimatkurier. Supplement to Nordkurier, 24 July 2006, p. 24.
• Bettina Schröder-Bornkampf: Winkelmann, Louise Emilie. In: Eva Labouvie (Hrsg.): Frauen in Sachsen-Anhalt, Bd. 2: Ein biographisch-bibliographisches Lexikon vom 19. Jahrhundert bis 1945. Böhlau, Köln u. a. 2019, ISBN: 978-3-412-51145-6, S. 442–445.

See also

In Spanish: Emilie Winkelmann para niños