Heinz Hilten facts for kids

Heinz Hilten (born April 29, 1909 – died March 3, 2013) was a German-American architect. He was part of the famous Wernher von Braun rocket team. Hilten helped design many important buildings in Huntsville, Alabama. These buildings were used by NASA and for other purposes during the exciting Space Age.

Heinz Hilten's Life Story

Heinz Hilten was born in Berlin, Germany, on April 29, 1909. When World War II began, he joined the German Army. He was later sent to the Peenemünde Army Research Center. From 1944 to 1945, Hilten worked there with Wernher von Braun's team. He designed buildings for the V-2 rocket program.

Rebuilding Germany

After World War II ended, Hilten did not immediately move to the U.S. He stayed in Germany to help rebuild cities. Hilten worked as an architect and planner for the city of Augsburg until 1954.

During this time, he designed important places. These included the Frauenfachschule, a school for women. He also designed the Rosenaustadion, a sports stadium. This stadium was built using materials from buildings damaged during the war. Hilten believed the Rosenaustadion was his best design.

Designing for the Space Age

In 1954, Hilten moved to Huntsville, Alabama, in the U.S. He joined Wernher von Braun and his team again. Hilten became the main architect and planner for Redstone Arsenal. He designed many buildings there as the facility grew quickly.

In 1960, he moved to the new Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC). He kept the same important role. At MSFC, Hilten designed many test stands and launch sites. These were for NASA's rocket programs. His designs included the Propulsion and Structural Test Facility and the Saturn V dynamic test stand.

Hilten once said, "I always said that I was not a space scientist that designed the rockets, but that I designed the space those scientists worked with." He continued to work at MSFC until he retired in 1978.

Huntsville Community Projects

Besides his work for space programs, Hilten also designed many other buildings. He worked on public and private projects in the Huntsville area. He helped with Huntsville's Memorial Parkway. He also worked on Point Mallard Park and the Von Braun Center concert hall.

Hilten was a talented musician too. He played at the Von Braun Center with the Huntsville Symphony Orchestra. He also designed swimming pools for the homes of other scientists, including Wernher von Braun and Ernst Stuhlinger.