Why “Hohe Pappeln”? Because when Henry van de Velde bought this property at the end of 1906, it stood outside of town amidst tall poplar trees. Today, we stand before Haus Hohe Pappeln. It was once the private residence of the Belgian architect and designer Henry van de Velde and his family.
Van de Velde designed everything. He drafted the plans for the entire house meticulously. The result? An extraordinary Gesamtkunstwerk. Its representative living areas and garden can still be visited.
The exterior shape arose from its interior structure. Van de Velde viewed Haus Hohe Pappeln as an organism. Each room served a special function in the spatial layout. Wall colors, fixtures, furniture, fabrics, and ceramics were all designed to harmonize. His plans were based on modern industrial aesthetics and the principle of functionality.
Notice that the garden is an integral part of the overall concept. Each facade is accorded a specific area. There’s a decorative garden with fruit trees facing the street. An open area with burbling fountains provides relaxation to the south. Just outside the service rooms, a vegetable garden features a greenhouse.
Henry van de Velde, his wife Maria, and their five children lived here until 1917. Increasing hostility toward foreigners during World War I forced them to sell Haus Hohe Pappeln and leave Germany. Ownership of the villa changed hands frequently.
In 2003, the Klassik Stiftung Weimar began using the building as a museum. In 2012, with support from the Ilse-Burghardt-Stiftung, the foundation purchased this culturally and historically significant home. The reconstruction of the study in 2015 completed the room layout. It recreated the harmonious impression of the bel étage. Functional and elegant fixtures with textile elements enhanced the room.
Our tour takes you through the garden and into the family’s living quarters on the bel étage. These include the living hall at the heart of Haus Hohe Pappeln. You will also see the dining room, the salon, and the study. Notice the meticulously reconstructed furnishings based on Van de Velde’s plans. The furniture on display today was designed by Van de Velde for the Weimar apartment of the journalist and playwright Max von Münchhausen in 1903. The original furniture was shipped out of the country when Van de Velde moved away.
From the very beginning of the planning, the garden was part of the overall concept of Haus Hohe Pappeln. Each facade is assigned a different area. To the street was an ornamental garden with fruit trees. To the south side is an open space with a fountain. In front of the utility rooms of the house is a kitchen garden with a greenhouse. A fountain with a figure of a kneeling youth by Georg Minne is located in the garden.
Inside Haus Hohe Pappeln, an anteroom with a staircase leads to the private rooms on the upper floor. It connects to the salon. The salon served as a parlor, music salon, and boudoir. From the salon, sliding doors led to the master’s study and the dining room. A staircase led directly from the dining room to the garden. The kitchen was located in the basement.
Remember that Van de Velde planned the exterior design of Haus Hohe Pappeln from the interior structure and function of the rooms. The functional fixtures and the textile elements of the study were reconstructed in 2015 according to historical models. Replicas of the original furniture have also been in the living hall since 2023.
Haus Hohe Pappeln stands as a testament to Van de Velde’s vision. It is a reminder of a time when art and life were seamlessly intertwined.