Well-designed: a tour through Essen's Moltke district

"The district represents a challenge“, says Tankred Stachelhaus. "A challenge to build well." This is the journalist's summary when looking back at the history of his district while he takes us through the streets presenting examples of good architecture. His district is Essen's Moltke district.

South east of the city centre between Kronprinzenstrasse, Ruhrallee, Töpferstrasse and Rellinghauser Strasse, the quarter was developed on an area of arable land as a unity in urban development regarding architecture, city planning and art at the beginning of the 20th century. In 2010, it celebrated its 100th birthday. "A unique example for modern city planning", Tankred Stachelhaus starts to rave.
The journalist wrote the guide on Essen's Moltke district: Das Essener Moltkeviertel – weltweit einzigartige RaumKunst (Essen's Moltke District - unique spatital art; translator's note). The expert takes you on a tour through the quarter where you get to know the former Royal Building Trade School, the Moltke Bridge, the Moltke Square with its sculpture ensemble, the Camillo-Sitte-Square, streets, buildings, semi-detached houses, townhouses and villas of famous architects.

Reform architecture on Schinkelstrasse

Functional, plain, reduced – the reform architecture at the beginning of the last century separated itself from the exuberance of the founding years with their richly decorated façades. The "traditional overload of houses with misunderstood stylistic forms"was to be split open according to city planner Rober Schmidt. Thus, the city planner created a prime example with the Moltke district at the turn of the previous century.

Built almost at the same time as the garden city Margarethenhöhe, the most progressive architects of the beginning of the 20th century created a "manifest of avantgarde" with the Moltke district. His representatives were Wilhelm Kreis, Oskar Schwer, Georg Metzendorf, Alfred Fischer or Edmund Körner, for example. "They all didn't agree with the popular swank architectural style at the time", says Tankred Stachelhaus. "Paramount was the function of the building with a clear architectural statement".

Intellectual centre of the district

 

Edmund Körner built the intellectual centre of the district in 1911 - the Royal Building Trade School which is called Robert-Schmidt-Berufskolleg today. The commercial and residential building Koppers by Oskar Schwer (1911) is located right across the street. The former administrative building on Moltkestrasse is used as an office building today. Over the entreé of the Moltke quarter - the Moltke bridge - we go on to the Moltke Square.

 

Down to the last detail...

City planner Robert Schmidt planned the district down to the last detail - even when it comes to the large green area. And playgrounds. "An absolute novum at the time", says Tankred Stachelhaus. At the Moltke Square, physical exercise played an important role. "It must have been very provoking at the time that people came here to exercise on the tennis courts and sports fields right in front of the bourgeois villas".



At the northern part of the Moltke Square, you come across an ensemble of contemporary sculptures consisting of 8 pieces of art, such as Hannes Forster, Gloria Friedmann or Friedrich Gräsel. The association Kunst am Moltkeplatz - founded by residents - took on sponsorship for the sculptures. Art in the public space on Moltke Square shall be retained, promoted and developed.
Across from the sculpture park, Otto Bartning built his first Lutheran church in 1910. In 1929, he built the Church of the Resurrection - a model of modern church construction.

Elements of New and Industrial Architecture

It goes one through streets with rows of buildings of well-known architects on Schinkelstrasse, Semperstrasse or Moltkestrasse. Even the design of curved streets was part of Schmidt's concept. You weren't supposed to lose yourself in them but find orientation. At the corner of Moltkestrasse and Camillo-Sitte-Platz, the commercial and residential building Edmund Körners was built in 1928/1929.

Elements from the New and Industrial Architecture become noticeable here. On Schinkelstrasse 34, you find the former home of Gustav Heinemann, former Federal President and first mayor of Essen after the Second World War.

The Essen branch of Germany's central bank is located on Moltkestrasse 31. From the medical institutions of the Huyssen foundation, the tour goes on to Camillo-Sitte-Square in the east of the quarter - a show garden visited by sightseers after after they strolled up the Ruhr Alley that had been planned as show street. The tripartite area is the first interior park in Germany. The rear backyards of the houses frame it and it borders directly on the park with children's playground and green areas.

Popular – despite one or the other eyesore


The tour ends at the Robert-Schmidt-Berufskolleg. The Moltke district remains a popular quarter to live in despite one or the other eyesore and neglegted green areas.

Tankred Stachelhaus resumes: "The quarter is a treasure trove for great solutions of city planning and architecture. Zhrough 3 construction phases, visionary Robert Schmidt managed to keep building owners interested in top architecture of their time that is still exemplary to the day. This high demand is a commitment for new buildings in the quarter. I would welcome a building by David Chipperfield, architect of the new Folkwang museum and reviver of Reform Architecture, for example".

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