Notheime - Ergonomically designed crisis houses of the building cooperative "Schlesische Heimstätte"

Abstract

In Germany after World War I in years 1918-1923 inflation was a decisive negative economic factor. Since 1923 the inflation process started to increase suddenly. Since July 1923 German currency lost its function of means of payment. Cash was changed into valuables as quickly as possible. Economic development was totally crippled. In Wrocław need for flats was enormous. It was much bigger than in other German cities. In June 1919 building cooperative "Schlesische Heimstätte", provinzielle Wohnungsfü rsorgegesellschaft m.b.H (Silesian Homestead, provincial company supporting housing construction, Ltd.), was founded in Wrocław as part of Prussian housing act. It acted under the aegis of Ministry of Social Care. In the first years after WWI, at the time of great postwar crisis, Ernst May - a young architect beginning his career, was appointed as a manager of "Schlesische Heimstätte". The company was to supply people of modest means with healthy and properly furnished flats at low prices. In the first half of the twenties so called crises houses (Notheime) were proposed. The propositions of the smallest houses were introduced in 1919-1920. They were dwelling summer houses with a room, small barn and toilet. They were to be enlarged or replaced with new buildings after the economic situation would have improved. Because of the lack of building materials after WWI, building cooperatives used substitute materials. Traditional natural materials were recommended in all designs - walls built from bricks and plastered, wooden truss and roof covered with tile. In order to find cheap solutions old local building materials were used. Walls could be built from dried clay blocks, limestone, calcareous slag or wood. Shingled or even thatched roof houses were suggested. A lot of attention was paid for economically and ergonomically designed layout of crises houses. They were to solve the enormous dwelling problems in Wroclaw and Silesia. © 2014 Springer International Publishing.