Craving a glimpse into Berlin’s roaring twenties? The Holtzendorff-Garage stands as a poignant reminder of that era. This is a testament to Berlin’s embrace of modernity. Let’s delve into its story.
The Holtzendorff-Garage was erected between 1928 and 1929. Walter and Johannes Krüger designed it. The brothers conceived it in the spirit of “New Objectivity”. It embodied radical modernism. The Holtzendorff-Garage included its own gas station. This made it one of the oldest structures of its kind.
It showcased the increasing motorization. Sadly, time has taken its toll. The Holtzendorff-Garage succumbed to decay. In December 2009, the historical preservation advisory board made a recommendation. They suggested integrating parts of the garage into any new construction on the property.
For years, the Holtzendorff-Garage received scant attention. But, in mid-2011, it was finally added to the list of protected monuments. Deutsche Bahn AG opposed this designation. They wanted to use the property for other purposes. The Holtzendorff-Garage continued to deteriorate amidst these disagreements. Little of the original structure remains.
The Holtzendorff-Garage originally had 47 individual garages. Rent was about two Reichsmark per day. That is around nine euros today. The repair shop was at the west end of the garage. The gas station was at the street corner. It served as the entrance and exit to the garage. A second exit was on Heilbronner Strasse. It was required for fire safety.
Minex ran the Holtzendorff-Garage until the end of 2002. Hugo Schlemmer and Hans Schirmacher founded Minex. The garages and gas station were largely intact. Deutsche Bahn AG sold the property after 2002. The new owner continued using it as a garage.
The creeping decay began in 2010. The grand garage was placed under monument protection in December 2009. Garages were vacated. The small repair shop closed. Vandalism plagued the area. In 2012, all the steel garage doors from 1929 were removed. A large part of the listed garage was demolished. The remaining garages were removed by November 2017. This was due to the construction of new apartments.
The architectural style reflects the New Building movement. The Holtzendorff-Garage was on land leased from Deutsche Reichsbahn. It was right next to the railway embankment of the Wetzlarer Bahn. Deutsche Mineralöl-Vertriebs-Gesellschaft mbH (Minex) commissioned the build. Construction started on October 15, 1928. The garage complex opened on May 30, 1929. Wittling & Güldner, a construction company from Wilmersdorf, carried out the work.
The building lost much of its historical value since 2012. The garage and workshop disappeared. Only the striking architecture of the gas station remains. It stands as a testament to automotive history. It also represents the growing private transport in 1920s Berlin.
Today, the Holtzendorff-Garage exists in fragmented form. Yet, it whispers tales of innovation. It reminds us of a time when Berlin raced towards the future. Its surviving gas station is a landmark. It is a reminder of what once was.