Dülfer, Martin

Martin Dülfer was born in 1859 in the family of the publisher and bookseller Karl Dülfer in Breslau . After graduating from a real gymnasium in Wroclaw, he studied first at a vocational school in Schweidnitz and then from 1877 to 1879 at the Technical Institute of Hanover with Konrad Wilhelm Haz. From 1879 to 1880, he continued his studies at the Technical Institute of Stuttgart, possibly with Christian Friedrich von Leins. In Hanover, he joined the Corps Macaro-Visurgia. After serving in the army in 1880-1881, he took up practical activities and worked in the prestigious Berlin Architectural Bureau of Heinrich Kaiser and Karl von Grossheim, and later in his hometown of Wroclaw, in the office of Brost and Grosser. And finally, in 1885/1886, he completed his studies at the Technical Institute of Munich with Friedrich von Tiersch.

Dülfer began his independent professional activity in 1887 in Munich , at first he built historicism in the typical for that time and region non-baroque manner. In 1900, he turned his eyes to Art Nouveau , whose floral, geometric and textural repertoire he associated with elements of Baroque and Classicism , thus creating his own individual style in the Art Nouveau style. He created designs for facades , residential buildings, trading houses and villas for clients from high society.

In 1899-1900, Dülfer was able to realize his first theater building in Merano , which was to be followed by the following 4. The five completed projects were followed by many more failed competition projects that were not implemented due to unfavorable external circumstances, despite first places in competitions.

In 1902, Dülfer received the honorary title of Royal Bavarian Professor. In 1906 he was invited as a follower of Karl Weissbach as a professor for the design of high-rise buildings at the Technical Institute of Dresden. Since 1912, Dülfer was there dean of the high-rise construction department. From 1920 to 1921 he was rector and immediately after that 2 years vice-rector of the institute. He was a member in many professional and creative associations, from 1908 to 1912 he served as chairman of the Union of German Architects.

Buildings and projects (selection)

• 1892-1893: State and city library in Augsburg (Germany)
• 1894-1897 (?): The Luitpold Fountain (Luitpold-Brunnen) or the Prince Regent Fountain (Prinzregenten-Brunnen) in Klumbach (Germany)
• 1895: The grave of Georg Pschorr at the old southern cemetery in Munich
• 1895: “Kaim-Saal” Acoustic (concert) hall on Turkenstrasse 5 (destroyed in 1944)
• 1896–1898: Villa Bechtolsheim at Maria Theresa-Strasse 27 in Munich
• 1897–1898: Office building of the F. Bruckmann Publishing House on Nymphenburger Straße 86 in Munich
• 1898-1901: Residential building for construction entrepreneur Friedrich Wagner, Kaulbachstrasse 22-26, Munich (partially preserved, is protected by monuments)
• 1899-1900: City Theater in Meran (south Tyrol, then Austria), Theater Square 2 (Theaterplatz)
• 1900–1901: Office building of the Munich newspaper publishing house Algemeiner Zeitung (Bayerstraße) 57/59, Munich. This building is considered a landmark building in the Art Nouveau style. At the beginning of the 20th century, when the Art Nouveau style was not very appreciated, more precisely in 1929, after the modernization of the facade, nothing remained of the original's vibrant colors.
• 1902: Own Art Nouveau house with Baroque elements Krailling
• 1902: Becker grave at the Jewish cemetery in Berlin-Weißensee
• 1902-1903: Hotel Terminus in Munich on Bayerstrasse 43 and Mittererstrasse 1
• 1903-1904: City Theater in Dortmund, Hiltropwall 15 (Hiltropwall) in collaboration with Heinrich Tessenow (destroyed during the 2nd World War)
• 1904: Competition project of the City Theater in Giessen (second prize)
• 1905: Competitive project of the city theater in Osnabruck (not implemented)
• 1905-1906: Residential building of the manufacturer Wilhelm Schenk in Freiburg (Breisgau) (preserved with minor modifications)
• 1907: Schneider office building in Wiesbaden on Kirchgasse (demolished)
• 1907-1908: Residential building of entrepreneur Carl Philipson in Osnabruck (destroyed in 1945)
• 1907-1908: State Theater in Lübecken on Beckergrube Street (restored in 1993-1996)
• 1908: Competition project of the Royal Württemberg Court Theater in Stuttgart (not implemented)
• 1909: Competition project of the city theater in Bremerhaven (not implemented)
• 1909: Competition project of the city theater in Hagen (first prize, not implemented)
• 1910: Competition project Neue Königliche Opernhaus in Berlin (second prize, not implemented)

• Dieter Klein: Martin Dülfer. Wegbereiter der deutschen Jugendstilarchitektur. (= Arbeitshefte des Bayerischen Landesamtes für Denkmalpflege , 8.) 2., erweiterte Auflage, Verlag Lipp, München 1993, ISBN 3-87490-531-4 .