Ever wondered what secrets lie behind this Jugendstil facade? This is Villa Lehmann. It stands here on Plauer Straße. This villa whispers tales of toys, art, and a local legend.
Ernst Paul Lehmann, a toy manufacturer, lived here. He wasn’t just any businessman. Lehmann was a man of vision and a true Brandenburger. In 1901, he decided to transform his residence. It was to become a statement of his success and artistic taste. He commissioned Bruno Möhring to redesign his home into the Jugendstil masterpiece we see today.
Look closely at the facade. Notice the details. The transformation occurred between 1901 and 1902. Möhring turned an 18th-century brick building into this Villa Lehmann. Jugendstil elements adorn the structure.
Beneath the arched window of the bay, you will spot a special detail. It is a relief created by Otto Stichling in 1902. It depicts the “Störrischer Esel” or “Stubborn Donkey”. This was one of Lehmann’s most successful mechanical toys. The image immortalizes Lehmann’s toy invention.
Lehmann’s impact extended far beyond toys and this villa. He was a generous patron of Brandenburg. In 1915, Lehmann gifted a monument to the city. It honored Prussian King Friedrich II. This statue stood in Nicolaiplatz. Sadly, it was removed after World War II.
Lehmann supported the local rowing club. He sponsored their boathouse back in 1908. It is known as the Ernst-Paul-Lehmann-Haus. Later, his heirs fulfilled his wishes. In 1936, they donated the house and grounds to the BRK.
Lehmann even had ties to the Freemasons. In 1934, he purchased the lodge house. He bequeathed it to the “Friedrich zur Tugend” lodge.
But there’s a darker side to Lehmann’s story. After the Boxer Rebellion in China, Lehmann created a toy. It was called “Der bestrafte Boxer” or “The Punished Boxer”.
Between the 1920s and 1930s, Lehmann established the Martha-Lehmann-Hort. It was a daycare for factory workers’ children.
Also, consider the “Einzug Friedrichs I. in Brandenburg” bronze relief. Lehmann donated it in 1917. It commemorated the first Hohenzoller in the Mark in 1412.
Villa Lehmann shows the layers of a man’s life. It combines business, art, philanthropy, and controversy. As you stand before Villa Lehmann, remember Ernst Paul Lehmann. He was a man who left his mark.