The Hackesche Höfe ( en, Hacke's Courtyards) is a notable courtyard complex situated adjacent to the

Hackescher Markt Hackescher Markt ("Hacke's Market") is a square in the central Mitte locality of Berlin, Germany, situated at the eastern end of Oranienburger Strasse. It is an important transport hub and a starting point for the city's nightlife. Overview ...

in the centre of

Berlin Berlin ( , ) is the capital and largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's most populous city, according to population within city limits. One of Germany's sixteen constitu ...

. The complex consists of eight interconnected courtyards, accessed through a main arched entrance at number 40 Rosenthaler Straße. The complex was designed in the Jugendstil (or Art Nouveau) style by

August Endell August Endell (1871–1925) was a designer, writer, teacher, and German architect. He was one of the founders of the Jugendstil movement, the German counterpart of Art Nouveau. His first marriage was with Elsa von Freytag-Loringhoven. Life Augus ...

, and the first courtyard is adorned with a magnificent facade of polychrome glazed brick. The construction of this project, launched in 1906, follows a pattern of clear separation between residential areas, crafts, trade and culture, which distinguishes it from the courtyards of the 19th century. In 1909

Kurt Hiller Kurt Hiller (17 August 1885, Berlin – 1 October 1972, Hamburg) was a German essayist, lawyer, and expressionist poet. He was also a political (namely pacifist) journalist. Hiller came from a middle-class Jewish background. A communist, he ...

and

Jakob van Hoddis Jakob van Hoddis (16 May 1887 – May/June 1942) was the pen name of the Jewish German expressionist poet Hans Davidsohn, of which "Van Hoddis" is an anagram. His most famous poem ''Weltende'' (''End of the world''), published on 11 January 1911 ...

established ''

Der Neue Club ''Der Neue Club'' was an Expressionist club founded in the Hackesche Höfe courtyards, Berlin by Kurt Hiller and Jakob van Hoddis. The Neopathetic Cabaret The Neopathetic Cabaret was a short-lived by influential event held at ''Der Neue Club'' wit ...

'' here which hosted such events as the literary evenings they called the ''Neopathetisches Cabaret'' (Neo-pathetic Cabaret). These proved to be very popular, often attracting hundreds of spectators. There is a plaque commemorating van Hoddis as one of the victims of

National Socialism Nazism ( ; german: Nazismus), the common name in English for National Socialism (german: Nationalsozialismus, ), is the far-right totalitarian political ideology and practices associated with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party (NSDAP) in Naz ...

at the Hackesche Höfe.

Gallery

File:200806 Berlin 477.JPG File:Hackesche Höfe - panoramio (2).jpg File:Mitte Hackesche Höfe Brunnen.jpg File:Gedenktafel Rosenthaler Str 40 (Mitte) Jakob van Hoddis.jpg, Memorial plaque to Jakob van Hoddis

References

External links

*
The official website of Die Hackeschen Höfe

Description of the Hackeschen Höfe on Berlin's official web site
Art Nouveau architecture in Berlin Buildings and structures in Mitte Heritage sites in Berlin Art Nouveau retail buildings {{Berlin-struct-stub