Academic thesis

Lea Luisa Puglisi: Sgraffito decoration of the 1950s in Hildesheim (pre-war and afterwar period) Back
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Abstract: Abstract
The city of Hildesheim was heavily damaged on March 22, 1945 through a bomb attack by the
British-Canadian Air Force. After the destruction over 40% of all dwellings were destroyed or
uninhabitable within the city. Hildesheim was then one of the most affected by the war destruction
cities in Lower Saxony. Before the devastating destruction, Hildesheim was considered
the „Nuremberg of the North“, a medieval town that had grown over the centuries and their
half-timbered buildings were rich in architectural and decorative details. After the devastation,
many people were left homeless and without shelter. The reconstruction was done immediately
and nevertheless the people managed quickly new housing. Nearly nine months after the
end of the war one million tons of debris had been cleared from the streets. The houses, which
originated then, were quick to provide housing due to time pressure and due to lack of materials
that weren’t as richly decorated as the former half-timbered houses. The architecture of
the fifties was modern and functional and testified optimism. Despite the economical use of
materials continues to be great emphasis was placed on the visibility of buildings. The time
typical characteristic was the art in architecture. They ranged from mosaics over reliefs to artfully
executed plastering. These were primarily used to document the determination of a building,
but it existed also representational motifs, which had nothing to do with the actual use
of the building. In Hildesheim, many of these artistic plasters have been preserved, but some
doesn’t exist anymore. Many of the motifs show modern but also traditionalist representations
that are closely linked to the history of Hildesheim. At this time there was painter and firms who
devoted themselves to this task and who left their personal stamp on the facades of the city.
The following work is dedicated to the plaster techniques of that time. It contains
an overview of the date of preparation of work still existing facades in Hildesheim,
which are adorned with these ornaments. In addition, it deals with selected motifs
with individual objects that have been subjected to a more detailed analysis.

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Keywords: Sgraffito-technique, sgraffiti, lime plaster, plasterings, Hildesheim, fifties, reconstruction, architecture, Otto Aue, Alfred Dorn, Bugenhagenstreet
 
 
Details:
  • academic institution: HAWK Hochschule für angewandte Wissenschaft und Kunst Hildesheim/ Holzminden/Göttingen
  • kind of theses:  Bachelorarbeit
  • main Tutor:  Dr. Prof. Dipl.-Rest. Nicole Riedl
  • assistant Tutor:  Dipl.-Rest. Anneli Ellesat M.A.
  • date:  2015
  • Language:  German
  • pages:  67
  • pictures:  114
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