Erica Mann facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Erica Mann
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Erika Schoenbaum
1917 Vienna, Austria-Hungary
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| Died | 4 June 2007 (aged 90) |
| Alma mater | École des Beaux Arts |
| Occupation | Urban planner, architect |
| Known for |
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| Spouse(s) | Igor Mann |
| Children | Kenny Mann |
Erica Mann (1917 – 2007) was an important architect and city planner. She spent most of her adult life living and working in Kenya. She had to leave her home in Romania during World War Two.
Erica Mann helped create the main plan for Nairobi in 1948. She also played a big part in planning Mombasa and other areas in Kenya. She cared about projects that helped improve people's lives. She led the "Women in Kibwezi" project, which was recognized by the United Nations in 1996. This project was one of many NGOs (non-profit groups) she led in Kenya. Many of these groups helped women work together in cooperatives. In 2003, she received the special title of Architect Laureate for Kenya.
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Erica Mann's Early Life and Family
Erica Mann was born Erika Schoenbaum in Vienna in 1917. She grew up in Romania and went to school in Bucharest. Later, she studied architecture at the École des Beaux Arts in Paris.
She met her husband, Igor Mann, and they fell in love quickly. Igor was a Polish veterinarian who had to leave his home when Nazi Germany invaded Poland. In late 1940, the Manns, who were Jewish, escaped across the Danube river. They traveled through Palestine and Egypt. They then spent some months in a British refugee camp in Northern Rhodesia. In 1942, they moved to Kenya, which was then under British rule. They made Kenya their home and became British citizens in 1948.
Erica and Igor were known for hosting "open house" afternoons. They welcomed people from all backgrounds, including artists, politicians, and thinkers. They had three children.
Erica Mann's Career in Planning
Soon after settling in Kenya, Erica joined the new town planning department in Nairobi. She worked on the 1948 master plan for the city. A master plan is a big, detailed guide for how a city will grow and develop. Some parts of her original plan are still visible today, like the suburbs of Jericho and Ofafa. However, she noted later that Nairobi didn't become exactly the city she and her colleagues had imagined.
Erica was quickly seen as a skilled and dedicated city planner. She became a senior officer for many big projects. She was in charge of gathering information for important planning decisions. She was interested in "Ekistics", a way of thinking that looks at all parts of human settlements to create harmonious places. Erica also studied traditional African house designs. She believed they were not "primitive" and gave talks about them. She thought urban planning was a great job for women. She felt it used their natural ability to create orderly and beautiful environments for families and communities.
She stayed updated on new ideas from architects worldwide. She promoted the work of "ecological" (environmentally friendly) and new architects in magazines she started. These magazines were called Build Kenya and Plan East Africa. In 1952, she began planning work for the city of Mombasa and the Coastal Province. Later, she worked in Central Province for ten years, and then in North-Eastern Province.
After Kenya gained independence in 1963, Erica Mann was one of the Europeans who continued to work for the new government. She supported Kenya's independence. She represented Kenya at many international conferences and lectures. Between 1964 and 1968, she also helped manage overseas trade exhibitions.
Her interests grew to include sustainable development and human rights. She described herself as a socialist, meaning she believed in fairness and equality for all people. In 1972, she founded the Council for Human Ecology: Kenya (CHEK). This group focused on helping rural women and protecting the environment. CHEK became a main organization for many NGO efforts over the years.
With CHEK, Erica led the Women in Kibwezi project. This project helped thousands of women become self-sufficient. They received training in skills like beekeeping, brickmaking, and rabbit breeding. The United Nations recognized this as a very successful project in 1996. Erica Mann was known for respecting the wisdom of Kenya's local people. For example, she worked to save the knowledge of healing plants used by traditional healers.
After retiring from government work in 1984, Erica used her creativity in new ways. She created a unique garden with succulent plants from different parts of Africa. This garden attracted international attention from botanists, including those from the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew in London. Erica also collected one of the largest private collections of African art in East Africa.
Erica Mann's Legacy
Erica Mann was given the title of Architect Laureate in 2003. This is a very high honor for an architect. She passed away on June 4, 2007, just before her 90th birthday.
At her memorial service, a former head of the Architects Association of Kenya said she was "a lone woman in a forest of men." This is why she joined groups like the International Union of Women Architects. In her own writings, Erica said she always tried to use her mind and hands for good, guided by her heart. She felt she was a "complete person" because she used all her talents.
After Erica's death, a writer named Betty Caplan called her "a Woman of Substance." She described Erica as a city planner, architect, ecologist, project manager, conservationist, beekeeper, speaker of seven languages, supporter of women's equality, jeweler, potter, craftswoman, gardener, and collector.
In 2013, a documentary film called Beautiful Tree, Severed Roots was made about Erica's life in Kenya. Her daughter, Kenny, directed the film. The title refers to Erica's maiden name, Schoenbaum, which means "beautiful tree."
See also
In Spanish: Erica Mann para niños
