Go on a discovery tour through the UNESCO World Heritage Site Hufeisensiedlung with the audio walk. Learn more about the background of its creation, learn what is meant by "built colors" and hear why the architect Bruno Taut chose such a special shape, like a horseshoe, for his central building of all things.
The Hufeisensiedlung is located in the Berlin district of Neukölln, in the district of Britz, and was built here from 1925-1931 on the former fields of the Rittergut Britz. The settlement is not only characterized by its special architecture, but also stands for a progressive social thought: The settlement was built according to the principle of "air, light and sun". All residents were to have sufficiently large living space with their own kitchen and bathroom - a rarity at the time.
They were also to have direct access to fresh air and nature. With these progressive ideas, Taut designed a counter-model to the usual tenements in which the working class often lived under catastrophic conditions at the beginning of the 20th century.
The Hufeisensiedlung is also distinguished by its special architecture. The most striking is probably the 350-meter-long horseshoe building in the center, which gives the settlement its name. But the "Red Front" or the buildings on Stavenhagener Straße also illustrate modern architecture. Despite serial construction and identical floor plans, Taut tried to avoid monotony through the clever use of different colors, jumping back and forth between the house facades or changing details, such as a differently designed door. In this way, individuality was created in series.
- Duration of the tour: 40 minutes
- Language: German
