Hugo Kükelhaus
Encyclopedia
Hugo Kükelhaus was a German carpenter
, writer
, pedagogue, philosopher and artist
. Hugo Kükelhaus is best known for his infant toys "allbedeut" and the “Experience field for the development of the senses.” Throughout his life he presented his views for a humane-scaled living environment in talks and publications. Besides this he is regarded as a harbinger for infant toy designs that fulfil the requirements of pedagogy
and developmental psychology
. He gained international recognition for his design of 30 “Experience stations” at the German Pavilion of the Expo 1967 in Montreal
. His ideas are relevant for contemporary theories of intelligence
, educational technology
and the design of learning environments.
and involved in newly organising the associations of vocation
al professions of the German crafts. In 1919 Hugo Kükelhaus finishes his Abitur
in Essen, begins an apprenticeship as a carpenter in Essen and, as a “travelling fellow” (Geselle), wanders through Germany
, Scandinavia
and the Baltics. In 1925 he receives his “carpenters master’s certificate” from the chamber of crafts of Arnsberg
. In the following years he reads at Heidelberg, Münster and Königsberg Sociology, Philosophy, Mathematics/Logic and Physiology.
and physiological
foundation of being receives great recognition.
Numerous other publications follow, while Kükelhaus still is closely related to the world of crafts: In 1931, following the death of his father, he takes over as the editor of the trade journal
“Das Tischlergewerk” (The carpenter trade) in which he is involved until 1956. From 1934 on he is also a member of staff at the Alfred-Metzner Publishing house in Berlin
which publishes the series Schriften zur deutschen Handwerkskunst (Writings to the German Arts and Crafts) (1935 ff) and Deutsche Warenkunde (German Journal of product trade), a news service concerning excellently designed products of trade and industry. He organises exhibitions, and gives lecture
s as well as workshops. At the same time he is busy a freelance writer and designer.
’s developmental psychology
and Kükelhaus receives in 1971 the Federal Prize Gute Form (Good Form) for these.
In 1950 he becomes an educator at the School of Arts and Crafts in Münster (Werkschule Münster, heute Fachhochschule für Design), from 1954 on he is solely occupied as a freelancer. As a furniture designer, Illustrator, glas artist and sculpturer, involved in the design of the interior and exterior of profane as well as sacral buildings. He settles in the mediaeval town of Soest in North Rhine-Westphalia
.
, and develops basic principles of “organological” building. He works on principles of development for spaces for all aspects of life according to the “Functioning principles of the human body.” This engagement results in the accredited publication Unmenschliche Architektur (1973) (Inhumane architecture) and in consultancy work and artistic involvement regarding appropriate “organic” architecture in schools, kindergarten
s and factories.
These experiential exhibits are manifestations of his phenomenology of consciousness regarding the learning process as a psycho-physiological experience: Learning through the body.
"The development of man is optimally supported by that environment which provides multifarious well-proportioned stimulations. Notwithstanding the question if this world of stimuli consists of physical or social circumstances and factors - its multifariousness is life’s condition.”
"We have for centuries sought to replace experience with knowledge. What a spare world we now live in!"
International Journal of Art & Design Education 25 (1) , 67–73 doi:10.1111/j.1476-8070.2006.00469.x Full text available at:
Carpenter
A carpenter is a skilled craftsperson who works with timber to construct, install and maintain buildings, furniture, and other objects. The work, known as carpentry, may involve manual labor and work outdoors....
, writer
Writer
A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....
, pedagogue, philosopher and artist
Artist
An artist is a person engaged in one or more of any of a broad spectrum of activities related to creating art, practicing the arts and/or demonstrating an art. The common usage in both everyday speech and academic discourse is a practitioner in the visual arts only...
. Hugo Kükelhaus is best known for his infant toys "allbedeut" and the “Experience field for the development of the senses.” Throughout his life he presented his views for a humane-scaled living environment in talks and publications. Besides this he is regarded as a harbinger for infant toy designs that fulfil the requirements of pedagogy
Pedagogy
Pedagogy is the study of being a teacher or the process of teaching. The term generally refers to strategies of instruction, or a style of instruction....
and developmental psychology
Developmental psychology
Developmental psychology, also known as human development, is the scientific study of systematic psychological changes, emotional changes, and perception changes that occur in human beings over the course of their life span. Originally concerned with infants and children, the field has expanded to...
. He gained international recognition for his design of 30 “Experience stations” at the German Pavilion of the Expo 1967 in Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
. His ideas are relevant for contemporary theories of intelligence
Intelligence
Intelligence has been defined in different ways, including the abilities for abstract thought, understanding, communication, reasoning, learning, planning, emotional intelligence and problem solving....
, educational technology
Educational technology
Educational technology is the study and ethical practice of facilitating learning and improving performance by creating, using and managing appropriate technological processes and resources." The term educational technology is often associated with, and encompasses, instructional theory and...
and the design of learning environments.
Childhood and youth
Hugo Kükelhaus grows up as the oldest of five children in a household that is closely connected to the crafts, his father being chairman of the association of carpenters of the town of EssenEssen
- Origin of the name :In German-speaking countries, the name of the city Essen often causes confusion as to its origins, because it is commonly known as the German infinitive of the verb for the act of eating, and/or the German noun for food. Although scholars still dispute the interpretation of...
and involved in newly organising the associations of vocation
Vocation
A vocation , is a term for an occupation to which a person is specially drawn or for which they are suited, trained or qualified. Though now often used in non-religious contexts, the meanings of the term originated in Christianity.-Senses:...
al professions of the German crafts. In 1919 Hugo Kükelhaus finishes his Abitur
Abitur
Abitur is a designation used in Germany, Finland and Estonia for final exams that pupils take at the end of their secondary education, usually after 12 or 13 years of schooling, see also for Germany Abitur after twelve years.The Zeugnis der Allgemeinen Hochschulreife, often referred to as...
in Essen, begins an apprenticeship as a carpenter in Essen and, as a “travelling fellow” (Geselle), wanders through Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, Scandinavia
Scandinavia
Scandinavia is a cultural, historical and ethno-linguistic region in northern Europe that includes the three kingdoms of Denmark, Norway and Sweden, characterized by their common ethno-cultural heritage and language. Modern Norway and Sweden proper are situated on the Scandinavian Peninsula,...
and the Baltics. In 1925 he receives his “carpenters master’s certificate” from the chamber of crafts of Arnsberg
Arnsberg
Arnsberg is a town in the Hochsauerland district, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is the location of the Regierungsbezirk Arnsberg's administration and one of the three local administration offices of the Hochsauerlandkreis.-Geography:...
. In the following years he reads at Heidelberg, Münster and Königsberg Sociology, Philosophy, Mathematics/Logic and Physiology.
Writing
The close relationship between practice and theory leads like a thread through the whole life achievements of Kükelhaus. 1932 he publishes his first book “Das Gesetz des Ebenmasses” (The law of Structure) where he develops from the golden section canonical-figures to which furniture can be constructed to a humane scale. His main work “Urzahl und Gebärde” (Primordial Number and Gesture) is published in 1932. This work on Numbers as the psychologicalPsychology
Psychology is the study of the mind and behavior. Its immediate goal is to understand individuals and groups by both establishing general principles and researching specific cases. For many, the ultimate goal of psychology is to benefit society...
and physiological
Physiology
Physiology is the science of the function of living systems. This includes how organisms, organ systems, organs, cells, and bio-molecules carry out the chemical or physical functions that exist in a living system. The highest honor awarded in physiology is the Nobel Prize in Physiology or...
foundation of being receives great recognition.
Numerous other publications follow, while Kükelhaus still is closely related to the world of crafts: In 1931, following the death of his father, he takes over as the editor of the trade journal
Trade journal
A trade magazine, also called a professional magazine, is a magazine published with the intention of target marketing to a specific industry or type of trade. The collective term for this area of publishing is the trade press....
“Das Tischlergewerk” (The carpenter trade) in which he is involved until 1956. From 1934 on he is also a member of staff at the Alfred-Metzner Publishing house in Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
which publishes the series Schriften zur deutschen Handwerkskunst (Writings to the German Arts and Crafts) (1935 ff) and Deutsche Warenkunde (German Journal of product trade), a news service concerning excellently designed products of trade and industry. He organises exhibitions, and gives lecture
Lecture
thumb|A lecture on [[linear algebra]] at the [[Helsinki University of Technology]]A lecture is an oral presentation intended to present information or teach people about a particular subject, for example by a university or college teacher. Lectures are used to convey critical information, history,...
s as well as workshops. At the same time he is busy a freelance writer and designer.
Kükelhaus as designer
Through his involvement with Fröbelschen Spielgaben, a toy manufacturer, and in a dialogue with the Fröbel researcher Erika Hoffmann he designs from 1939 on the “Allbedeut” toys, dexterity toys for infants. Their profound quality is later underpinned by Jean PiagetJean Piaget
Jean Piaget was a French-speaking Swiss developmental psychologist and philosopher known for his epistemological studies with children. His theory of cognitive development and epistemological view are together called "genetic epistemology"....
’s developmental psychology
Developmental psychology
Developmental psychology, also known as human development, is the scientific study of systematic psychological changes, emotional changes, and perception changes that occur in human beings over the course of their life span. Originally concerned with infants and children, the field has expanded to...
and Kükelhaus receives in 1971 the Federal Prize Gute Form (Good Form) for these.
In 1950 he becomes an educator at the School of Arts and Crafts in Münster (Werkschule Münster, heute Fachhochschule für Design), from 1954 on he is solely occupied as a freelancer. As a furniture designer, Illustrator, glas artist and sculpturer, involved in the design of the interior and exterior of profane as well as sacral buildings. He settles in the mediaeval town of Soest in North Rhine-Westphalia
North Rhine-Westphalia
North Rhine-Westphalia is the most populous state of Germany, with four of the country's ten largest cities. The state was formed in 1946 as a merger of the northern Rhineland and Westphalia, both formerly part of Prussia. Its capital is Düsseldorf. The state is currently run by a coalition of the...
.
Kükelhaus as a critic of inhuman architecture
From 1960 on Kükelhaus intensifies his research and experimental studies into the sensory modalities. He observes with great care and concludes that modern man in his technical civilisation robs himself of the fundamental experiences necessary for the development of the body and the senses. He critiques the increasingly inhumane tendencies of the 1970s modern architectureArchitecture
Architecture is both the process and product of planning, designing and construction. Architectural works, in the material form of buildings, are often perceived as cultural and political symbols and as works of art...
, and develops basic principles of “organological” building. He works on principles of development for spaces for all aspects of life according to the “Functioning principles of the human body.” This engagement results in the accredited publication Unmenschliche Architektur (1973) (Inhumane architecture) and in consultancy work and artistic involvement regarding appropriate “organic” architecture in schools, kindergarten
Kindergarten
A kindergarten is a preschool educational institution for children. The term was created by Friedrich Fröbel for the play and activity institute that he created in 1837 in Bad Blankenburg as a social experience for children for their transition from home to school...
s and factories.
Experience field for the development of the senses
Kükelhaus gained international recognition through his Experience field for the development of the senses, presented at the 1967 World Expo in Montreal in form of 30 different experience exhibits. At the centre of these exhibits stands experiencing the world with the senses and an awareness for the body, as opposed to a purely intellectual engagement with the world. In the foreground is the corporeal and physical engagement with roundabouts, swings or the texture of the ground beneath the visitors feet.These experiential exhibits are manifestations of his phenomenology of consciousness regarding the learning process as a psycho-physiological experience: Learning through the body.
Quotes
“What exhausts us is not making use of the possibilities of our organs and senses, their subjugation and suppression. What constitutes them is development. Development through the engagement with a world that wholly challenges me.”"The development of man is optimally supported by that environment which provides multifarious well-proportioned stimulations. Notwithstanding the question if this world of stimuli consists of physical or social circumstances and factors - its multifariousness is life’s condition.”
"We have for centuries sought to replace experience with knowledge. What a spare world we now live in!"
External links
1. Andreas Luescher (2006) Experience Field for the Development of the Senses: Hugo Kükelhaus' Phenomenology of ConsciousnessInternational Journal of Art & Design Education 25 (1) , 67–73 doi:10.1111/j.1476-8070.2006.00469.x Full text available at:
- http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/action/showPdf?submitPDF=Full+Text+PDF+%28138+KB%29&doi=10.1111%2Fj.1476-8070.2006.00469.x&cookieSet=1