The Forgotten Jewish Architects

Ruth Ellen Gruber writes in her blog about the forgotten Jewish architects, that were active in Germany before 1933:

"Little is known anymore about the more than 450 Jewish architects who were active in Germany before 1933 -- in November of that year, Jews were banned from the state-run artists guild, membership in which was mandatory in order for an architect to work."

“The Jewish architect wanted to show his achievement in the forefront, and to create a new form of building that people would accept,” she told the author of the article, David Sokol.

“Berlin was a living architecture exhibition,” Warhaftig said of the interwar period. “After Weimar, Berlin was flourishing culturally. Walter Gropius, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, and other modernists were looking for a peaceful and social world, and wished to express their ideas in architecture. I think the majority of Jewish architects chose to settle in Berlin to prove that anti-Semitism would no longer play a role in their lives.”

Jewish architects were active in the modernist movement in many countries."

The website of the Association for Research on the Lives and Works of German-speaking Jewish Architects Gruber links to mentions for example the Roxy-Palast cinema, designed by Martin Punitzer.

The "Cinema Treasures" site writes that
"Opened in 1929, this streamlined Art Deco styled cinema was designed by architect Martin Punitzer and had an original seating capacity of 1,106 located in orchestra and balcony.

It was re-modelled in 1951 by Paul Stohrer and Bruno Meltendorf and the seating capacity was slightly reduced to 998. It closed in 1977 and was converted into a disco club. This was bombed by a terrorist group in 1987 and was immediately closed although the damage done to the building was not too bad.

For many years now the building has been used as a furniture and household goods shop. "

Pictures of the Roxy Palast are available here