Peter Behrens
(1868-1940)
German painter, architect and designer
Peter Behrens played an important role in the development of modern architecture. He co-founded the Deutsche Werkbund and was a pionneer in industrial design.
His collaboration with AEG (major German electric power company) let him design the factories as well as design electric objects. He started his carreer as a
painter in Munich at the time of the Münchner secession in 1897. Then he was called to join a colony of artists in Darmstadt in 1900. In 1901, he built
his own house and furnished it completely. He joined AEG as artistic advisor in 1907. He was teacher of applied
arts in many German universities and then in Austria and had many pupils that became famous including Le Corbusier and Mies van der Rohe.
Main buildings
- Behrens house, Darmstadt in 1901
- Crematorium, Hagen (1905-08)
- Villa Cuno, Hagen (1909-10)
- Turbin halle, AEG factory, Berlin in 1908-09
Gallery