Peeking through the trees is Haus Mohrbutter. This house has stood since 1913. It is a testament to Berlin’s rich history. Today we explore this building at Schlickweg 6.
Haus Mohrbutter is more than just bricks and mortar. It is a designated heritage site. It reflects the architectural styles of its time. The house stands as a reminder of a bygone era.
Around 1900, this area was sandy soil. Cattle searched for food here. Trains hurried past spoiling the idyll. The trains ran from Berlin to Potsdam. They ran every ten minutes. A banker and an entrepreneur acquired the lands east of Mexikoplatz station. They founded a land development corporation. In 1903, they planned 663 building sites. These sites would line nineteen new streets. A boggy fen became the Waldsee lake. This made the building land more valuable. The station also increased property values.
Before World War I, city dwellers built villas here. They sought rural life with city advantages. Famous architects designed these homes. Hermann Muthesius was among them.
Thirty years later, renowned architects worked here. Ludwig Mies van der Rohe was one of them. Walter Gropius and Bruno Taut also contributed. They designed villas and housing around the Waldsee. One such villa was Haus Knobloch. Max Werner designed it in 1922. Since 1946, it has been an exhibition space. It is now known as Haus am Waldsee.
Hermann Knobloch commissioned Haus am Waldsee. He was a Jewish textile entrepreneur. The architect Max Werner designed it in the English country style. The house was for children, guests, and cars. It needed to be light-filled. The family moved in during 1923. They had a private filling station and a boathouse. A greenhouse, pigsty, and chicken coop completed the scene. Staff lived above the garage. The family aimed for self-sufficiency. They had a meadow with fruit trees. The lake was full of fish. Several vegetable patches added to their supplies. Paths and terraces were laid out. Rare trees and rhododendrons were planted.
Financial problems hit the Knobloch family in 1926. To save their business, they sold their paradise. The family then moved to Charlottenburg. In the early 1930s, they emigrated to Uruguay.
By 1945, the property had changed hands eight times. Each owner used the U-Bahn station. Alfred Grenander designed the Krumme Lanke station. It opened in 1929. It provided a fast link to the city center. After World War II, this link was disrupted. The villa was deserted. Its last occupant was a Nazi civil servant. He went into hiding in Southern Germany. In May 1945, Russian soldiers occupied the house.
In June 1945, the Berlin Philharmonics gave a concert in the garden. It was their second concert after the war. They played Mozart, Haydn, and Grieg. Walter Sieber conducted. Erna Berger was the soloist. Tickets cost five marks for a seat. Standing room was two marks.
When the Americans took over Zehlendorf, the garden hosted concerts and theatre. Gustav Gründgens and Marianne Hoppe wanted it as a cultural center. They persuaded the town major. The first exhibition was in January 1946. Ewald Vetter curated it. It featured sculptures by Käthe Kollwitz. Edwin Redslob praised the sculpture Die Klage. He said it absolved an entire people.
Haus Mohrbutter and similar locations played roles in Berlin’s cultural life. They offered refuge and inspiration. They survived war and political upheaval. They stand as symbols of resilience. The house received its protected status as a building monument. The reference number is 09075911. Today, Haus Mohrbutter stands as a reminder of Berlin’s layered past.