Germany Will Help Tel Aviv Preserve Bauhaus Architectural Legacy
Tel Aviv Bauhaus Building, 2008. Maira Kalman Image by Maira Kalman
Germany is committed to help Israel preserve an architectural legacy that recalls Jewish design pioneers who fled the Nazi regime in the 1930s.
Germany will invest $3.2 million over the coming nine years to help save Bauhaus-style buildings in the historic “White City” district of Tel Aviv, Barbara Hendricks, German minister for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Building and Nuclear Safety, announced recently.
The funds – the first installment of which was presented to Tel Aviv Mayor Ron Huldai in May – will also go towards creating a Bauhaus Center in the city’s Max-Liebling House, which is due to open in 2017. Reportedly, the center will serve as a hub for experts involved in planning and overseeing restoration work.
The “White City” is the world’s largest Bauhaus settlement, with more than 4,000 buildings. The district was named a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2003.
Its architects were students of German architect Walter Gropius (1883-1969). Many brought building materials to then-Palestine with them. Reportedly, the buildings have been adversely affected by the salty sea air, and original items such as windows and doors cannot be easily replaced.
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