The Belle Epoque in Europe
Germany
Gera (Thuringia): Haus Schulenburg
The following photographs can be published by courtesy of Dr. Volker Kielstein, Magdeburg. The copyright is owned by the author of this site. Any use of these photographs if not exclusively in a private manner is strictly forbidden.
In 1913/14, Henry van de Velde designed the mansion as residence of Paul Schulenburg, a textile manufacturer and art collector
of Gera. He was not only the architect, but - as it was the case with many other Art Nouveau architects - also drafted and styled
the interior, designed the furniture as well as tapestries, window handles, door cases and everything else. The garden was also
created according to his plans. In 1919/20, this garden had at first been expanded, but in 1937 unfortunately split in several
lots being sold so that today's garden represents only a part of the original park. Disappropriated in 1946, the mansion has been
converted and used as a nursing school of the city of Gera. After Germany's unification, the house was deserted and left in decay
for many years.
In 1996, Mr. and Mrs. Kielstein, physicians from Magdeburg, bought the mansion and started to rebuild Haus Schulenburg on basis
of the original constructional drawings in order to reestablish its original state, which was an expensive, long lasting and hard
detail work. Today, to a great extent, it is furnished again with the original interiors of its date of origin. Inside is a private
museum with Europe's largest collection of van de Velde's book covers as well as sketches and other publications of the artist.
Besides it is the domicile of the European Van de Velde Society.
Thanks to the initiative of the Kielsteins, Haus Schulenburg represents today a prominent complete work of Henry van de Velde's
art and surely one of the most beautiful.
