Pause for a moment to consider the life of a man driven by innovation. This is the Wohnhaus Lilienthal Plaque. It commemorates Gustav Lilienthal. He was more than just the brother of aviation pioneer Otto Lilienthal. Gustav was a builder and social reformer. He left his mark on Berlin.
Gustav Lilienthal was born in Anklam in 1849. He died in Berlin in 1933. He supported his brother Otto’s flight experiments. Gustav also developed technical toys. His work in housing and social projects is noteworthy. Many know Gustav through his brother Otto. Few know of his contributions to toy design. Even fewer are aware of his housing innovations.
Lilienthal’s architectural style can be found in Lichterfelde. This became his adopted home. Here he built houses that looked like small castles. He constructed his first villa in 1891 on Tietzenweg 51. It stood on a small plot. It was only 200 square meters. Two years later, he built a larger house on Marthastraße 5.
Between 1892 and 1900, Gustav built around 30 villas. Twenty-two are in Lichterfelde. Sixteen of these are protected as historical landmarks. These villas had modern features. They included double windows and warm-air heating.
Gustav Lilienthal invented pre-fabricated building elements. These included large hollow blocks made of cement. He also invented the Terrast ceiling. He created houses that could be disassembled. These techniques were used in settlements like Lobetal and Eden.
Lilienthal also had many toy patents. Some were registered under Otto’s name. These included the Anker-Steinbaukasten. This was a stone building kit. It was also a model kit that was a precursor to the metal construction kit.
Like his brother, Gustav was influenced by social ethics. He was inspired by the Freiland novel by Theodor Hertzka. He co-founded the Freie Scholle building cooperative in 1895. He designed buildings for the Eden fruit-growing cooperative.
His first home in Lichterfelde was small. His wife faced mockery from neighbors. Lilienthal responded with a saying on the house. It cautioned against overspending on construction. Despite the size, it had features of his later buildings. These included a flat roof and simple facade.
Lilienthal aimed to create affordable housing. He wanted good living conditions for the middle class. He focused on the needs of families. He thought about children, housewives, and staff. Houses needed to be practical and comfortable. He avoided expensive elements.
He replaced the usual high roof with a flat one. Basements were lit by a ditch. Instead of stucco facades, he used plaster. He also used sparse clinker decorations. His houses were innovative. They featured warm-air heating in the walls.
Consider the layers of innovation. Gustav Lilienthal’s work went beyond flight. He shaped how people lived. His houses offered comfort and modernity. They were social reform manifested in brick and mortar. The Wohnhaus Lilienthal Plaque reminds us of this. It is a legacy of thoughtful building and social change.