Darmstadt - Mathildenhoehe

Darmstadt is a city in the southern part of the Rhine-Main-Area with a population of around 160,000. Darmstadt holds the official title "City of Science" as it is a major centre of scientific institutions, universities, and high-tech companies.

Darmstadt was chartered as a city by Emperor Ludwig IV ("The Bavarian") in 1330, at which time it belonged to the counts of Katzenelnbogen. The city became a secondary residence for the counts. When the House of Katzenelnbogen became extinct in 1479, the city was passed to the Landgraviate of Hesse and was the seat of the ruling landgraves and up to 1918 of the Grand Dukes of Hesse.

During the 19th century, the population grew from little over 10,000 to more than 70,000 inhabitants. In 1942 under the reign of the Nazis more than 3,000 Jews were deported to concentration camps where most died.

After a British bombing raid in September 1944, the old city centre was largely destroyed. During this attack, an estimated 11,000 to 12,500 inhabitants burned to death. Post-war rebuilding was done in a relatively plain architectural style, although a number of the historic buildings were rebuilt to their original appearance.

The Darmstadt Artists’ Colony was founded in 1899 by Ernst Ludwig, Grand Duke of Hesse. It refers both to a group of artists as well as to the buildings in Mathildenhöhe in Darmstadt in which these artists lived and worked. The artists were largely financed by patrons and worked together with other members of the group who ideally had concordant artistic tastes.

The artists’ goal was to be the development of modern and forward-looking forms of construction and living. The Grand Duke brought together several artists of the Art Nouveau: Peter Behrens, Paul Bürck, Rudolf Bosselt, Hans Christiansen, Ludwig Habich, Patriz Huber and Joseph Maria Olbrich.

The "Hochzeitsturm" (wedding tower) was erected to commemorate the wedding of Grand Duke Ernst Ludwig with Princess Eleonore zu Solms-Hohensolms-Lich in 1905. Joseph Maria Olbrich designed the tower, which is, as the roof is reminiscent of an outstretched hand, “five-finger tower” by locals.