Chronology

Walter Gropius

Konrad Wachsmann

General

1883: Born Berlin, Germany.

1903-04: Technische Hochschule, Munich.

1950-07: Technische Hochschule, Charlottenburg, Berlin.

1907-10: Chief Assistant, Peter Behrens.

1910: Memorandum to AEG on industrial production of houses.

1910-14: Officer in German army.

1923: Baukasten-im-Grossen project.

1925-26: Bauhaus to Dessau.

1926: Muche-Paulick steel house, Bauhaus.

1926-28: Industrialization of the site, Törten-Dessau housing.

1927: Prefabricated houses at Weissenhof Siedlung, Stuttgard. “Systematische Worabeit für rationellen Wahnugsbau,” “Der Architekt als Organisator der modernen Bauwirtschaft…”.

1928: Resigns from Bauhaus, commences private practice in Berlin.

1928: Business connections with Sommerfeld, visit to America.

1929: Project houses for dry assembly (Montagehäuser).

1930: Judge, competition, low-cost housing.

1931: Appointed architectural consultant, Hirsch Copper House Department, responsible for development.

1931: Copper prefabs for Growing House exhibition, using Hirsch system.

1932: Bauhaus transferred from Dessau to Berlin.

1933: Bauhaus, Berlin forced to close down.

1933: Prefab project, A. Rosa Works, Barcelona.

1934: Visit to Spalato. Meets Wachsmann. Visits Venice and Rome with Wachsmann. Goes to England.

1934-37: In private practice, London with Moxwell Fry.

1937: Moves to USA. Professor at Harvard.

1937-41: In practice with Marcel Breuer.

1938: Chairman, Department of Architecture, Harvard.

1940: Uses his influence to get Wachsmann released from internment.

1941: “How to Bring Forth an Ideal Solution to the Defense Housing Problem,” with Martin Wagner.

1941: Invites Wachsmann to stay at Gropius home in London.

1941-42: Design of Packaged House system with Wachsmann.

1943: Organizes demonstration of General Panel houses

1945-69: Partner in The Architects Collaborative

1952: Professor Emeritus, Harvard

1969: Died Boston

1901: Born Frankfurt-Oder, Germany.

1917-20: Apprenticed cabinetmaker and carpenter.

1920-22: Journeyman cabinnetmaker and carpenter.

1922-23: School of Applied Arts, Berlin.

1923-24: Academy of Arts, Dresden (under Tessenow).

1924-26: Academy of Arts, Berlin (under Poelzig).

1926: Goes to wark at Christoph and Unmack.

1927-29: Head of design studio, Chistoph and Unmack, many projects.

1929-32: In private practice, Berlin, house for Einstein.

1930: Publishes Holzhaubau

1930: Prizewinner, competition, low-cost housing.

1931: “Klein und gross Bauten in neuer Holzbautechnik.”

1932: Wins Prix-de-Rome, goes to Italy, German Academy.

1933: Compelled to leave Academy, now under Nazi control. Goes to Spain.

1933: Assistant to City Planner, Granada.

1934: Visit to Spalato. Meets Gropius. Visits Venice; returns to Rome with Gropius.

1934-38: In private practice, Rome.

1938: Moves to France. First proposals for Mobilar system.

1939-40: Interned as enemy alien in Franec. First proposals for panelized system of construction for prefabs.

1940: Released from internment, short period of service in French army.

1941: Visa obtained, sails to the United States.

1941: Travels to Lincoln. Works on projects with Gropius.

1941-42: Design of Packaged House system with Gropius.

1942: Moves to New York.

1942: General Panel Corporation, New York, established.

1944: Office partition system for General Panel.

1945: Mobilar hangar system.

1946: General Panel Corporation, California, established.

1949: Contract with General Panel Corporation expires. Appointed Professor, Institute of Design, Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago.

1950: General Panel ceases to function.

1959: “Wendepunkt in Bauen.”

1965: Professor, School of Architecture, University of Southern California, graduate program in industrialization.

1980: Died Los Angeles.

1887: Christoph and Unmack establish in Niesky.

1906: Hirsch-Kupfer established.

1907: Deutscher Werkbund.

1910: Le Corbusier in Behren’s office.

1914-18 First World War

1914-18: Le Corbusier, mass-produced houses (Dom-Ino, Monol, Citrohan).

1923: Le Corbusier, “Maisons en serie.”

1923: Economic Chaos in Germany

1924: Steel houses in Britain (Weir, Atholl, Telford).

1924: Frigyes Förster, patent for metal-faced panel system.

1925: Taut Wagner. Industrialization of the site, Berlin-Britz.

1926: Steel houses in Germany (Wöhr, Böhler, etc.)

1926: First prefab system in reinforced concrete for housing in Germany (Bron).

1926-29: May, prefabrication of the Siedlung, Frankfurt.

1927: Buckminster Fuller, Dymaxion house.

1929-32: World Economic Depression

1930: Hirsch-Kupfer acquires Förster-Krafft patient.

1930: Bauwelt low-cost housing competition

1931: Building exhibition, Berlin. Prefabs exhibited (Hirsch copper house, Böhler steel house).

1931: Wagner organizes Growing House competition.

1932: Growing House exhibition, Berlin.

1932: Steel houses in the United States (Rowleey, American Rolling Mills, General Houses, Inc., American Houses, Inc.)

1933: Hitler Comes to Power.

1933-38: Export of German prefabs to Palestine under transfer agreement (Deutsche Kupferhaus, formerly Hirsch; Böhler; Christoph and Unmack).

1934-39: Exodus of German architects, to Britain, United States, Palestine.

1937: The Wagner (U.S. Housing) Act

1939-45: Second World War.

1940: The Lanham Act.

1941: USA Unters War.

1942: All federal housing functions consolidated in NHA.

1945: End of War.

1946: Veterans Emergency Housing Program.

1950: Korean War.