Electricity crackled in the air a silent hum beneath the surface of Rauchlose Siedlung. This wasn’t just any housing development. This was Berlin’s first smoke-free settlement a marvel of early 20th-century engineering.
Built at the start of the 1930s Rauchlose Siedlung boasts approximately 1000 housing units. It stretches along the Steglitzer Damm and Munsterdamm. The architects Paul Mebes Paul Emmerich and Heinrich Straumer designed it. It was a testament to the “Neues Bauen” movement. More importantly Rauchlose Siedlung was the German Reich’s first settlement with central heating and hot water lines. A true innovation for its time.
Imagine life in 1931. Most Berliners cooked with coal stoves filling their homes with smoke and soot. Here in Rauchlose Siedlung electric stoves were the norm. Only about 6 percent of Berlin households had electric stoves at the time. The residents enjoyed clean air and modern conveniences unheard of in most homes. The apartments were relatively small mostly two and 2 5-room apartments averaging nearly 60 square meters. They were however fully electrified each with a separate kitchen and a bathroom complete with a hot water heater and a small bathtub.
Construction wasn’t easy. Much of the work was done by hand using horse-drawn carts. A lack of construction machinery slowed things down. The project was completed by 1934. The unique design varied the facades and balconies to avoid monotony. Mebes championed industrial building methods describing them as particularly cost-effective. He noted that the handcrafted techniques took a backseat to machinery but without harming the aesthetic appeal. He believed Rauchlose Siedlung created a pleasant feeling of cleanliness and order. It provided tenants with practical healthy and humane housing.
After World War II refugees and displaced persons moved into the settlement. It quickly surpassed its intended occupancy. A school was originally planned. It was not completed until 1973 when the 2nd Oberschule Steglitz was built. It was converted into the Oberstufenzentrum in 1985.
Today Rauchlose Siedlung stands as a protected monument. Its apartments are partly privately owned and partly owned by Deutsche Wohnen SE. There is even a museum apartment showcasing the original furnishings. The settlement’s free-standing construction and mostly harmonious flat roofs make it particularly suitable for photovoltaic systems. A local initiative is striving to make it a reality. Rauchlose Siedlung could once again become a beacon of energy efficiency in Berlin. A testament to its innovative past. A legacy that lives on.