Mathildenhöhe Darmstadt

As an honorary Darmstädter (I live one town over with my wife), I was super excited when this was inscribed! It is a unique period in art history, one I was not that familiar with, but the buildings are visible from afar and have a unique feel to their look, thanks to their excellent preservation. It's small, compact, and easy to visit! 

This place is right up UNESCO's street, so if the inscription process takes place this year, I should imagine this will almost certainly be successfully inscribed.

It was also a lot more up my street than I expected. Although this is a relatively small area, we enjoyed strolling amongst the exhibition halls, gardens etc, even though it only lasted around 20 minutes!! Sadly the main exhibition hall attached to the wedding tower is currently undergoing major restoration work, so is covered in scaffolding. I liked the Swan Temple particularly.

My favourite part though was the artists houses. I understand that most are now in private hands, but it would be great if the opportunity arose, for at least one of them to be accessible to the public. Again Olbrich House is being restored so the exterior tilework is not really visible at this time. I liked all the houses but the standout one for me is the Behrens House.

Overall I didn't expect the colony to feel so 'complete', so obviously different from its surroundings, and so easy to interpret. The design ideals represented here are very well preserved in the architecture, and remain authentic despite the disruptions of recent history.

Germany is working towards a 2020 nomination for the Artists' Colony Mathildenhöhe in Darmstadt. This is a Gesamtkunstwerk of buildings, gardens and works of art, created during the years 1901-1914 over the course of four exhibitions. The art-loving Hessian Grand Duke Ernst Ludwig was the patron for the notable Jugendstil artists that were part of this community.

I had never been to Darmstadt before, and I visited it for a night and a morning on my return from the Ice Age Art Caves. My first impression was that of a rather dull city. It is large enough though to have its cosmopolitan edges – I ate at a Peruvian restaurant on Saturday and a Persian one on Sunday right after visiting Mathildenhöhe (the recommended Shiraz which is within walking distance). To find a site like the Artists’ Colony in a city like this still is a real surprise.

Mathildenhöhe is signposted all over Darmstadt. It’s a small quarter just northeast of the city center. The core consists of a block with the Wedding Tower and the Exhibition Building, with the emblematic Russian Orthodox Chapel and the Platanenhain (sycamore grove) in front of it. Around this cluster lie a number of houses created for and by the artists. It has the general atmosphere of a public park, and many locals were also out for a Sunday stroll. People also were entering the Russian Chapel to pray. The chapel has no direct link to the Artists' Colony but it greatly adds to …

The Mathildenhöhe Artists' Colony is one of the most promising candidates on the new German tentative list, and it is also a site which I would like to see inscribed. The artists' colony was founded in 1899 by the Grand Duke of Hesse to stimulate industry and crafts with innovative ideas. Until the beginning of World War I, several artists of the Art Nouveau showed in four exhibitions their ideas of architecture, design and visual arts. In some ways, the Mathildenhöhe colony represents the transition between Art Nouveau and Modernism. The most influential artists in Darmstadt were the Austrian architect Joseph Maria Olbrich, who had planned most of the buildings, and Peter Behrens, best known for his later industrial buildings and design.

The Mathildenhöhe is a hill close to the city centre, the proposed area comprises the permanent buildings of the four exhibitions, particularly the two exhibition halls and the artists' houses. But it also includes small structures such as sculptures, a water basin, a pavillon. The most striking building is the Wedding Tower, the landmark of Darmstadt.

I used to live near Darmstadt and I have visited the artists' colony many times. I agree with Assif, that it is a nice place to spend a Sunday afternoon. The buildings are very well described in his review below, thus just a few additional comments:

The Orthodox Church was built shortly before the artists began their work, and although it was constructed in the style of Russian churches …

We have already got a connection "Art colonies", however, Mathildenhöhe in Darmstadt will probably become the first site the OUV of which lies in its function as such, unless Cubanacan makes it on the list before. Mathildenhöhe is probably one of the first modern art colonies and among the most famous ones. It was built ex nihilo in the beginning of the 20th century and conceived as a innovative art colony. The artists were also encouraged to build their villas at the site.

Despite grave destruction during WWII the site survived and makes an authentic impression, although some of the original buildings no longer stand. The complex includes a fountain, a sculpture garden, the Orthodox church, the iconic Nuptial Tower, the two exhibition halls and the nearby artists villas. Living next to Frankfurt, Mathildenhöhe makes an easy day trip by public transport and I spent several Sundays enjoying it. Some comments on the visit:

The Orthodox church: It seems to have very beautiful interior, but it is still an active church. Each Sunday I came a mass was underway and I could not enter the building. It is not too big and it seems it attracts numerous prayers from the entire area, so even a short glimpse proved impossible through the crowds blocking the entry.

The Nuptial Tower: Do not buy the (cheap) tickets for visiting the tower. Three impressive rooms are featured in the tower. The first is the hallway covered with beautiful mosaics. It can be accessed without …

Following in my travel plans on Els footprints, I ventured to Darmstadt on the same weekend as my visit to the Ice Age Caves.

During my visit the Mathildenhöhe was fairly busy with plenty of tourist groups roaming the area. Several parts of the site were closed and undergoing renovations. In addition, the wedding tower was closed for … weddings. Still, I feel I managed to get a good look.

OUV

On the one hand side I get Els overall point. This is a consistent ensemble of Jugendstil buildings. The museum on site provides a great overview of the art objects created in the artist's colony. And while several of the buildings are off limits, you still get to see a lot of the Jugendstil interior design by visiting the museum and the wedding tower.

On the other hand side I left the site having taken less than ten pictures during my visit, all of them mediocre at best. Now, admittedly, I wasn't in the best possible shape. During the previous night there had been an oversupply of drinks and an undersupply of sleep. Still, I really tried to find a nice shot on a sunny day with blue skies and couldn't.

Part of it was due to the ongoing repair works of the site. In preparation for the world heritage site bid, the authorities have started renovating several of the buildings. Especially the artist houses seem in dire need of some construction …