Peter Behrens (1868 – 1940) – German architect/designer

Peter Behrens German designer featured image
Peter Behrens German designer featured image

Peter Behrens (1868 – 1940) was a German graphic artist, architect and designer. He studied at the Karlsruhe and in Düsseldorf and Munich.

Peter Behrens portrait taken by Waldemar Titzenthaler c.1913. (Public domain)
Peter Behrens portrait taken by Waldemar Titzenthaler c.1913. (Public domain)

Professional Career

In 1893, he joined the avant-garde group associated with the Munich Secession. In 1896, he travelled in Italy in 1898 studied industrial mass production.

Following the lead of the Wiener Werkstätte, in 1897 (with Hermann Obrist, Bruno Paul, Bernhard Pankok, and Richard Riemerschmid) founded Vereinigte Werkstätten fur Kunst im Handwerk (United Workshops for Art in Hand-Work), aiming to sell everyday objects designed by Modern artists. Inspired by English models, worked there as a painter and graphic designer.

Early Jugendstil designs were replaced by a Cubist and Rationalist style seen in his plans for the house in the Darmstadt artists’ colony of 1901 and the Pavilion of Decorative Arts at 1902 Turin ‘Esposizione Internazionale d’Arte Decorativa Moderna.’ 

In 1899, the Grand Duke Louis IV of Hesse-Darmstadt included Behrens forming the art colony at Darmstadt. His first building was his 1901 house at Darmstadt, where he had an opportunity to employ his abilities as an architect and designer of furniture, glass, ceramics, silver, and jewellery; in Darmstadt, designed silver flatware in the Secession style made by M.J. Rückert and a desk set by Martin Mayer. Ornamentation disappeared on his silverWork, especially that produced by Franz Bahner, Düsseldorf. 

Bruckmann und Sohne, Heilbronn made other silverwares. Having left the artists’ colony, he lived in Düsseldorf where he was director of the Kunstgewerbeschule 1904-07; (with Hermann Muthesius and others) founded the Deutscher Werkbund (German Work Association). 

European Design Festival Awards

AEG Turbine Factory

On the invitation of AEG managing director Walter Rathenau, began to work in Berlin from 1908 on the corporate identity of the enormous German industrial combine, for which Behrens produced architecture, graphics, kettles, electric fans, and clocks, the first time a firm had hired an artist to advise on all facets of industrial design; designed the seminal 1908-09 AEG turbine factory and several other buildings for AEG. His style was not one that lends itself easily to canonisation; indeed, even the Turbine Factory itself is difficult to appreciate without understanding its historical context. 

Berlin-Moabit: AEG-Turbinenwerk
Berlin-Moabit: AEG-Turbinenwerk

Summary of Work

Some porcelain designs were produced by Manufaktur Mehlam Gebr, Bauscher, Weiden, Bonn, and glass designs by Rhemische Glashtütten, Köln-Ehrenfeld. For a time in 1910, Le Corbusier (1910-11), Gropius (1907-10), and Mies van der Rohe (1908-11) worked side by side in Behrens’s office. In the 1910s, Behrens designed linoleum patterns for Delmenhorster Linoleum Fabrik, an early member of the Werkbund. From 1922, he was the director of both schools of architecture at Akademie der bildenden Künste, Vienna, and, from 1936, Preussische Akademie der Künste, Berlin. In 1926, he designed the house ‘New Ways,’ Northampton (England). In 1932, collaborated with Ferdinand Wilm and others to form Gesellschaft für Goldschmiedekunst (Society for Gold-smiths’ Work). 

cup; saucer | British Museum

Cup and saucer, hard-paste porcelain, glazed white with overglaze printed linear pattern in red; octagonal in shape, the cup with incurved sides, the saucer completely flat with no central depression to hold the cup and a deep angled rim. Factory mark on base.

Sources

Byars, M., & Riley, T. (2004). The design encyclopedia. Laurence King Publishing.

ArchDaily Website. (2020, April 14). Spotlight: Peter Behrens. ArchDaily. https://www.archdaily.com/619290/spotlight-peter-behrens.

Advertisements

Design & Architecture Books – Amazon

* This website may contain affiliate links, and I may earn a small commission when you click on links at no additional cost.  As an Amazon and Sovrn affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

More German Designers

  • Ulrike Brandi Licht (b.1957), Trailblazing German Lighting Designer

    Ulrike Brandi Licht (b.1957), Trailblazing German Lighting Designer

    Ulrike Brandi, a German lighting designer, has made a significant impact in the field of design with her innovative creations. From her early education in literature to studying industrial design under notable mentors, Brandi’s journey led her to become an independent consultant and lighting designer. Her notable projects include the design of a solar-powered light…


    Learn more

  • Bruno Paul (1874 – 1968), German Architect and Designer

    Bruno Paul (1874 – 1968), German Architect and Designer

    Bruno Paul (1874 – 1968) was a German architect, cabinetmaker, designer, and teacher. He was born in Seifhennersdorf. He studied at the Kunstgewerbeschule, Dresden, from 1886 and painting at the Akademie fur Kunst, Munich, under Paul Hocker and Wilhelm von Diez, from 1894. Read More →


    Learn more

  • Claus Luthe: A Visionary Automobile Designer from Germany

    Claus Luthe: A Visionary Automobile Designer from Germany

    Explore the remarkable career of Claus Luthe, an influential German automobile designer, known for his innovative contributions to iconic brands such as NSU, Audi-NSU, and BMW. Discover Luthe’s design language, including the iconic “bathtub” shape and the revolutionary wedge form, which left an indelible mark on the automotive industry. Learn about his role in shaping…


    Learn more

  • Peter Raacke (b.1928) German metalworker and designer

    Peter Raacke (b.1928) German metalworker and designer

    Hessische Metallwerke commissioned Raacke to produce metal cutlery, kitchen equipment, and cookware, most notably his “Mono-a” line (v-33), with silverware available in stainless steel and sterling silver.Read More →


    Learn more

  • Anni Albers (1899 – 1994) German Textile Designer, artist and teacher

    Anni Albers (1899 – 1994) German Textile Designer, artist and teacher

    Anni Albers was a German Textile Designer, artist and teacher. She was born in Berlin and was the Wife of Josef Albers.Read More →


    Learn more

  • Masterful Craftsmanship and Modern Ornamentation: The Legacy of Erna Zarges-Dürr, German Silversmith

    Masterful Craftsmanship and Modern Ornamentation: The Legacy of Erna Zarges-Dürr, German Silversmith

    Erna Zarges-Dürr (1907-2002) was a German silversmith. She was professionally active Pforzheim, Leipzig, Berlin. and Stuttgart. Between 1924-27, she trained at Bruckmann und Söhne, Heilbronn, as the first women in the silversmiths’ department. From 1927, she studied at the Kunstgewerbeschule, Pforzheim, under Theodor Wende and others. Read More →


    Learn more

  • Walther Klemm: The Master of Monochromatic Woodblock Prints

    Walther Klemm: The Master of Monochromatic Woodblock Prints

    Walther Klemm (1883-1957), a German painter, printmaker, and illustrator, was known for his monochromatic woodblock prints, particularly of animals. This article delves into Klemm’s life, from his early years in Karlsbad to his recognition at the Vienna Secession Exhibition and his professorship at the University of Fine Arts in Weimar. Celebrated for his unique interpretation…


    Learn more

  • Wolf Karnagel: A Visionary German Designer and Teacher

    Wolf Karnagel: A Visionary German Designer and Teacher

    Wolf Karnagel, a renowned German designer and teacher, has made significant contributions to the world of design. His versatile portfolio includes iconic glass ranges, such as “Joy” and “Pandio,” as well as the sterling silver flatware collection “Epoca.” Karnagel’s designs have been featured in prestigious publications and have earned him recognition globally. In addition to…


    Learn more

  • Albert Reimann (1874 – 1971) German metalworker and educator

    Albert Reimann (1874 – 1971) German metalworker and educator

    Albert and his wife Klara Reimann founded the Schülerwerkstatten für Kleinplastik (School for Small Sculpture) in Berlin in 1902. Reimann was a gifted craftsman who created prototypes to produce bronze, copper, silver, gold, and pottery. Read More →


    Learn more

  • Frei Otto (1925 – 2015) German Architect designs that soared

    Frei Otto (1925 – 2015) German Architect designs that soared

    The late German architect Frei Otto’s work can be seen all over the world in pavilions and sports stadiums. His impact on the Olympics is huge, from the design of Rio’s Maracana stadium to the tent-like roofs he made for Munich in 1972. He influenced a generation of British architects, including Norman Foster, Michael Hopkins…


    Learn more

  • Lange Gerd (b.1931): A Trailblazing German Designer

    Lange Gerd (b.1931): A Trailblazing German Designer

    Lange Gerd, a trailblazing German designer, made a significant impact on the design industry through his furniture and lighting design expertise. Born in 1931 in Wuppertal, Gerd studied at the Werkkunstschule and began his career in 1964. He collaborated with renowned manufacturers and exhibited his work in influential exhibitions, such as the ‘Die gute Industrieform’…


    Learn more

  • Frog Design: A Pioneer in Humanising the Artificial Environment

    Frog Design: A Pioneer in Humanising the Artificial Environment

    Frogdesign made a global impact in the 1980s by virtue of its products’ visual expressiveness and ergonomic success, traits that attracted an extensive and prestigious client listRead More →


    Learn more

  • Otl Aicher (1922 – 1991), German industrial and graphic designer

    Otl Aicher (1922 – 1991), German industrial and graphic designer

    From 1946 to 1947, Otl Aicher (1922 – 1991) attended the Munich Academy of Fine Arts. He later became closely affiliated with Ulm’s highly influential and radical Hochschule Für Gestaltung after founding a studio there the following year.Read More →


    Learn more

  • Hans Poelzig (1869-1936), German architect and designer

    Hans Poelzig (1869-1936), German architect and designer

    Hans Poelzig (1869-1936) was a German architect and designer who studied at Technische Hochschule, Berlin Charlottenburg and Technische Hocschule, Berlin. He worked in Breslau, Dresden, Preussiche Akademie der Kiinste in Berlin, and became a professor at the Technische Hochschule in Berlin Charlottenburg. He was influenced by Expressionism, Reinhardt’s Schumann Circus, and the Grosses Schauspielhaus in…


    Learn more

  • Jugendstil: An Exploration of an Artistic Style

    Jugendstil: An Exploration of an Artistic Style

    Jugendstil, an artistic style that originated around the mid-1890s in Germany and persisted throughout the first decade of the 20th century. READ MORRead More →


    Learn more

  • Lilly Reich (1885 – 1947)  – German Interior Designer

    Lilly Reich (1885 – 1947) – German Interior Designer

    Lilly Reich was a German interior designer and furniture and exhibition designer who studied embroidery and collaborated with Else Oppler-Legband. Reich’s professional relationship with Mies van der Rohe began with the 1927 ‘Weissenhof-Siedlung’ exhibition, and she designed interiors and furniture for the 1936 of Dr Facius in Berlin-Dahlem and 1939 furniture for Dr Schäppi’s apartment…


    Learn more

  • Walter Gropius (1883 – 1969) is the history of modern architecture

    Walter Gropius (1883 – 1969) is the history of modern architecture

    Walter Gropius (1883 – 1969) was an architect born in Germany in the early twentieth century who contributed to the founding of the Bauhaus School. He lived in the United States after 1937 and taught at Harvard University, where he continued to defend the principles of Bauhaus, especially the use of functional materials and clean…


    Learn more

  • Anchor Blocks – 19th Century construction toy

    Anchor Blocks – 19th Century construction toy

    Anchor Blocks were a German system of building blocks that were popular as a children’s construction toy in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, notably in Europe. Dr F. Ad. Richter in Rudolstadt, Germany, began developing and manufacturing the system in 1879. The concept was based on the FROEBEL block system, which significantly impacted…


    Learn more

  • Peter Behrens (1868 – 1940) – German architect/designer

    Peter Behrens (1868 – 1940) – German architect/designer

    Peter Brehens (1868 – 1940) was a German graphic artist, architect and designer. He studied at the Karlsruhe and in Düsseldorf and Munich.Read More →


    Learn more

  • AEG – German Lighting Firm – Est. 1883

    AEG – German Lighting Firm – Est. 1883

    Engineer Emil Rathenau founded AEG as the Deutsche Edison Gesellschaft für angewandte Elektrizitäts (DEG) two years after seeing Edison’s lighting at the Paris Exposition Internationale de l’Electricité in 1881.Read More →


    Learn more

You may also be interested in

Winold Reiss German artist and designer – Encyclopedia of Design

Winold Reiss (1886-1953) was a German artist and designer. He was born September 16, 1886, in Karlsruhe, Germany, Reiss grew up with fine art. His father was Frits Reiss, one of Germany’s most famous portrait and landscape painters.

More design articles

Comments are closed, but trackbacks and pingbacks are open.