Intension

“Es ist eine natürliche, menschliche Art, nicht nur auf Zweckmäßiges zu sehen, sondern auch Schönes zu suchen und zu lieben.”

Ludwig Mies van der Rohe is considered one of the most influential architects of the modern movement. He left a permanent impression with his minimalistic ideas all over the world – always following his motto: „more is less“. One of his basic principles, being that beauty and functional modernism are compatible, still to this day have a tremendous impact on today’s architecture and society.

“Baukunst wurzelt in ihren einfachsten Gestaltungen ganz im Zweckhaften.”

“Mechanisierung verleiht dem irdischen Handeln eine Richtungskomponente ins Ungeistige.”

Walther Rathenau was foreign minister of the „Weimarer Republik“, industrialist and writer. He was the managing director of the electricity company „AEG“ – the company his father had founded. He was known as a critic of contemporary culture and was looking for answers to the problems of the industrial society. In his role as a politician, he was responsible for the “Repallo Treaty of 1922”, between the „Weimarer Republik“ and soviet russia. The deal included, that no reparations had to be paid. Only few months later, he was murdered by right-wing extremists while on his way to the Federal Foreign Office.

“Ich will Selbstbestimmung, selbstverdientes Geschick und Freiheit.”

“Durch die Maschine wird dem Ingenieur die mechanische Rechenarbeit nicht nur abgenommen, sondern ihr Umfang kann enorm gesteigert werden.”

Konrad Zuse was an engineer, inventor and leading pioneer of the computing technology. At the age of 25 he developed a theoretical model for a calculating machine, which could facilitate the computing work significantly and improve the performance to a huge extent. In 1941 he developed the „Z3“, which is considered to be the first functioning computer in the world, and laid grounds for today’s computer technology.

“Praktische Anwendung finden nicht die richtigsten, sondern die einfachsten Theorien.”

“Der lebenswidrige Missbrauch, die reaktionäre Ausbeutung antiliberaler Ideen kann nicht siegreich sein.”

Thomas Mann is considered one of the most important german writers and is without a doubt the greatest novelist of the 20th century. He was awarded the nobel price for literature for his novel „Buddenbrooks“ in 1929. From early years on, he criticized the growing national socialism in germany until he was forced to emigrate to the United States of America. He became one of the leading representatives of the „other“ Germany and a journalistic fighter against the Hitler regime.

“Der Gnade, deren Deutschland so dringend bedarf, bedürfen wir alle.”

“Ihr seid nicht allein, wir stehen an eurer Seite. Wir sind und bleiben eine Nation, und wir gehören zusammen.”

Helmut Kohl was the Federal Chancellor from 1982 to 1998 and is known as the „chancellor of reunification. From very early years on, he showed huge interest in the idea of a European unification. His vision was a „Europe without turnpikes“ and a harmonic cooperation between the European people in the fields of economy and culture. His masterpiece is considered to be Germany’s policy in the years of 1989 and 1990. Due to his close friendship with president George Bush and his trust in Michael Gorbatschow, he eventually achieved a reunification between east and west. During his last years as chancellor, he had a tremendous impact on the successful realization of the European Union and a common currency: the EURO.

“Ich wandle immer auf meinen eigenen, ganz und gar unverwechselbaren Spuren.”