Werner Hegemann (1881-1936): formative years in America

• Published in: Planning perspectives 1996-01, Vol.11 (1), p.1-21
• Main Author: Collins, Christiane Crasemann
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• ISSN: 0266-5433; 1466-4518
• DOI: 10.1080/026654396364907

Werner Hegemann (1881-1936), born in Mannheim, Germany, is generally associated with Berlin. In that city he directed and published the City Planning Exhibition (1910), followed by its sequel, the International City Planning Exhibition in Dusseldorf (1911). From 1922 until he chose exile in New York in 1933, he was prominent, as well as controversial, as the editor of Wasmuths Monathshefte fur Baukunst and Der Stadtebau , which merged in 1930. In his native country his book, Das steinerne Berlin (1930) continues to be recognized as the premier work on the urban history of that city. Far less known is the international range of his activities as lecturer, consultant, organizer of exhibitions on architecture and city planning, and planner of residential developments. Prior to the long stretch in Berlin during the 1920s, Hegemann had spent, with some interruptions, a total of 10 years in the USA. These may be considered his formative years, shaping his ideas on architecture, urban planning and its implementation. The impact of his American experience lasted throughout his tragically short life. He died in New York in 1936.