Carl Krayl
Encyclopedia
Carl Christian Krayl was a German architect
and artist of the early twentieth century, who was associated with several of the leading avant-garde
art movements of German Expressionism
.
Krayl was born in Weinsberg
, and educated at the school of applied arts and the technical college of Stuttgart
. He began his career working for architects in Nuremberg
and Freiburg
. He did technical work in Ingolstadt
during World War I
.
In the years immediately after the War, Krayl was involved with the Arbeitsrat für Kunst
, the November Group, the Glass Chain
, and Der Ring
, along with Walter Gropius
, Bruno Taut
, and other luminaries of the Expressionist movement. Krayl's paintings and drawings from this period are richly imaginative and visionary, with titles like "Cosmic building," "Dream city," and "Light greetings from my star house."
Krayl was one of the architects interested in the possibilities of the "glass architecture" advocated by the writer Paul Scheerbart
. In 1920 Krayl began designing "suspended and swinging architecture," a feature of Scheerbart's 1914 novel The Gray Cloth
. Krayl designed a "Crystaline Star House" that hung from the side of a cliff. Krayl also wrote a series of articles that were published in Taut's journal Frühlicht ("Daybreak").
Simultaneously, Krayl worked in the practical and pragmatic side of architecture. He held a position on the board of works for the city of Magdeburg
from 1921 to 1938. He designed buildings that were constructed in Magdeburg and elsewhere, including the health insurance building in Magdeburg, a union office, and apartment buildings. In the 1921–1924 years, Krayl was Bruno Taut's assistant while Taut was the city architect in Magdeburg; together they executed a program of facade painting to alleviate the grimness of urban architecture. (The Constructivist
artist Ilya Ehrenburg
saw their work in 1922, and criticized it for "its disproportion and dadaistic hysteria.")
In 1933, when the Nazi regime
came to power, Krayl was accused of being a Bolshevik
(a false charge). As a result, he was unemployed as an architect through 1937. From 1938 to 1946 he worked as a draftsman for the national railway. He died in Werder (Havel)
in 1947.
"We want to look into the distant future and show what is to come...." — Carl Krayl to Walter Gropius, 1919.
Architect
An architect is a person trained in the planning, design and oversight of the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to offer or render services in connection with the design and construction of a building, or group of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the...
and artist of the early twentieth century, who was associated with several of the leading avant-garde
Avant-garde
Avant-garde means "advance guard" or "vanguard". The adjective form is used in English to refer to people or works that are experimental or innovative, particularly with respect to art, culture, and politics....
art movements of German Expressionism
German Expressionism
German Expressionism refers to a number of related creative movements beginning in Germany before the First World War that reached a peak in Berlin, during the 1920s...
.
Krayl was born in Weinsberg
Weinsberg
Weinsberg is a town in the north of the German state Baden-Württemberg. It was founded ca. 1200 and is situated in the Heilbronn district. The town has about 11,800 inhabitants. It is noted for its wine...
, and educated at the school of applied arts and the technical college of Stuttgart
Stuttgart
Stuttgart is the capital of the state of Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany. The sixth-largest city in Germany, Stuttgart has a population of 600,038 while the metropolitan area has a population of 5.3 million ....
. He began his career working for architects in Nuremberg
Nuremberg
Nuremberg[p] is a city in the German state of Bavaria, in the administrative region of Middle Franconia. Situated on the Pegnitz river and the Rhine–Main–Danube Canal, it is located about north of Munich and is Franconia's largest city. The population is 505,664...
and Freiburg
Freiburg
Freiburg im Breisgau is a city in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. In the extreme south-west of the country, it straddles the Dreisam river, at the foot of the Schlossberg. Historically, the city has acted as the hub of the Breisgau region on the western edge of the Black Forest in the Upper Rhine Plain...
. He did technical work in Ingolstadt
Ingolstadt
Ingolstadt is a city in the Free State of Bavaria, in the Federal Republic of Germany. It is located along the banks of the Danube River, in the center of Bavaria. As at 31 March 2011, Ingolstadt had 125.407 residents...
during World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
.
In the years immediately after the War, Krayl was involved with the Arbeitsrat für Kunst
Arbeitsrat für Kunst
The Arbeitsrat für Kunst was a union of architects, painters, sculptors and art writers, who were based in Berlin from 1918 to 1921...
, the November Group, the Glass Chain
Glass Chain
The Glass Chain or Crystal Chain sometimes known as the "Utopian Correspondence" was a chain letter that took place between November 1919 and December 1920. It was a correspondence of architects that formed a basis of expressionist architecture in Germany. It was initiated by Bruno Taut.-Names,...
, and Der Ring
Der Ring
Der Ring was an architectural collective founded in 1926 in Berlin. It emerged out of expressionist architecture with a functionalist agenda. Der Ring was a group of young architects, formed with the objective of promoting Modernist architecture. It took a position against the prevailing...
, along with Walter Gropius
Walter Gropius
Walter Adolph Georg Gropius was a German architect and founder of the Bauhaus School who, along with Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and Le Corbusier, is widely regarded as one of the pioneering masters of modern architecture....
, Bruno Taut
Bruno Taut
Bruno Julius Florian Taut , was a prolific German architect, urban planner and author active during the Weimar period....
, and other luminaries of the Expressionist movement. Krayl's paintings and drawings from this period are richly imaginative and visionary, with titles like "Cosmic building," "Dream city," and "Light greetings from my star house."
Krayl was one of the architects interested in the possibilities of the "glass architecture" advocated by the writer Paul Scheerbart
Paul Scheerbart
Paul Karl Wilhelm Scheerbart was an author of fantastic literature and drawings. He was also published under the pseudonym Kuno Küfer and is best known for the book Glasarchitektur ....
. In 1920 Krayl began designing "suspended and swinging architecture," a feature of Scheerbart's 1914 novel The Gray Cloth
The Gray Cloth
The Gray Cloth with Ten Percent White: A Ladies' Novel is an avant-garde novel by the fantasist and visionary writer Paul Scheerbart, first published in 1914...
. Krayl designed a "Crystaline Star House" that hung from the side of a cliff. Krayl also wrote a series of articles that were published in Taut's journal Frühlicht ("Daybreak").
Simultaneously, Krayl worked in the practical and pragmatic side of architecture. He held a position on the board of works for the city of Magdeburg
Magdeburg
Magdeburg , is the largest city and the capital city of the Bundesland of Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. Magdeburg is situated on the Elbe River and was one of the most important medieval cities of Europe....
from 1921 to 1938. He designed buildings that were constructed in Magdeburg and elsewhere, including the health insurance building in Magdeburg, a union office, and apartment buildings. In the 1921–1924 years, Krayl was Bruno Taut's assistant while Taut was the city architect in Magdeburg; together they executed a program of facade painting to alleviate the grimness of urban architecture. (The Constructivist
Constructivism (art)
Constructivism was an artistic and architectural philosophy that originated in Russia beginning in 1919, which was a rejection of the idea of autonomous art. The movement was in favour of art as a practice for social purposes. Constructivism had a great effect on modern art movements of the 20th...
artist Ilya Ehrenburg
Ilya Ehrenburg
Ilya Grigoryevich Ehrenburg was a Soviet writer, journalist, translator, and cultural figure.Ehrenburg is among the most prolific and notable authors of the Soviet Union; he published around one hundred titles. He became known first and foremost as a novelist and a journalist - in particular, as a...
saw their work in 1922, and criticized it for "its disproportion and dadaistic hysteria.")
In 1933, when the Nazi regime
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
came to power, Krayl was accused of being a Bolshevik
Bolshevik
The Bolsheviks, originally also Bolshevists , derived from bol'shinstvo, "majority") were a faction of the Marxist Russian Social Democratic Labour Party which split apart from the Menshevik faction at the Second Party Congress in 1903....
(a false charge). As a result, he was unemployed as an architect through 1937. From 1938 to 1946 he worked as a draftsman for the national railway. He died in Werder (Havel)
Werder (Havel)
Werder , is a town in the state of Brandenburg, Germany, located on the Havel river in the Potsdam-Mittelmark district, west of the state's capital Potsdam.Werder has a long and rich history and is a nationally recognized Erholungsort – a government designation given to...
in 1947.
"We want to look into the distant future and show what is to come...." — Carl Krayl to Walter Gropius, 1919.