Ernst Bernhard Sehring (1 June 1855 in
Edderitz,
Anhalt
Saxony-Anhalt ( ; ) is a state of Germany, bordering the states of Brandenburg, Saxony, Thuringia and Lower Saxony. It covers an area of
and has a population of 2.17 million inhabitants, making it the 8th-largest state in Germany by area an ...
– 27 December 1941) was a German architect.
Life
Sehring came from a petty-bourgeois village background and was the son of a
Dessau
Dessau is a district of the independent city of Dessau-Roßlau in Saxony-Anhalt at the confluence of the rivers Mulde and Elbe, in the ''States of Germany, Bundesland'' (Federal State) of Saxony-Anhalt. Until 1 July 2007, it was an independent ...
construction foreman. He was boarded by Professor Happach and attended the
Gymnasium and the Kunstschule in Dessau. From 1873 until 1875, he studied at the
Technische Universität Braunschweig
TU Braunschweig (, unofficially ''University of Braunschweig – Institute of Technology'') is the oldest ' (comparable to an institute of technology in the American system) in Germany. It was founded in 1745 as Collegium Carolinum and is a membe ...
, then architecture four semesters at the
Berlin Bauakademie. During his studies he became a member of the . In 1877/1878, he was a trainee with the architect Karl Hoene in
Halle (Saale)
Halle (Saale), or simply Halle (), is the second largest city of the States of Germany, German state of Saxony-Anhalt. It is the sixth-most populous city in the area of former East Germany after (East Berlin, East) Berlin, Leipzig, Dresden, Chem ...
. Sehring completed his year of military service as a
one-year volunteer
A one-year volunteer, short EF (German language, de: ''Einjährig-Freiwilliger''), was, in a number of national armed forces, a Conscription, conscript who agreed to pay his own costs for the procurement of equipment, food and clothing, in return ...
in 1878/1879. He undertook a study trip to Italy in 1879/1880 to observe the theatre architecture and garden architecture there.
Shortly after he was accepted into the , he received the , his first architectural award, in 1882 for his designs for the
Museum Island
The Museum Island (, ) is a museum complex on the northern part of Spree (river), Spree Island in the Mitte (locality), historic heart of Berlin, Germany. It is one of the capital's most visited sights and one of the most important museum sites ...
. In 1883, he received the Großer Akademischer Staatspreis.
As a state scholarship holder in Rome (1883 and 1884), he took part in an international theatre building competition for the first time and opened the architectural firm ''Peters and Sehring'' with Ernst Peters in
Berlin-Kreuzberg
Kreuzberg () is a district of Berlin, Germany. It is part of the Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg borough located south of Mitte. During the Cold War era, it was one of the poorest areas of West Berlin, but since German reunification in 1990, it has ...
in 1885. In 1889, he terminated this
partnership
A partnership is an agreement where parties agree to cooperate to advance their mutual interests. The partners in a partnership may be individuals, businesses, interest-based organizations, schools, governments or combinations. Organizations ...
and from 1890 was active as an independent, freelance artist and architect.
Sehring became known for his designs, especially competition designs, theatre and other new buildings. At the
Theater des Westens
The Theater des Westens (Theatre of the West) is one of the most famous theatres for musicals and operettas in Berlin, Germany, located at 10–12 in Charlottenburg. It was founded in 1895 for plays. The present house was opened in 1896 and ded ...
in
Berlin-Charlottenburg
Charlottenburg () is a Boroughs and localities of Berlin, locality of Berlin within the borough of Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf. Established as a German town law, town in 1705 and named after Sophia Charlotte of Hanover, Queen consort of Kingdom ...
, he combined an elegant neo-baroque auditorium with a stage tower in the style of a medieval keep. Sehring later adopted a similar combination of disparate styles in the construction of the
Stadttheater Halberstadt as well as the
Düsseldorfer Schauspielhauses (both in 1905).
At first, he even ran the Theater des Westens himself together with his partner Paul Blumenreich as ''Theater des Westens GmbH''; however, the attempt was financially unsuccessful.
From 1907 to 1921, he built his family's summer residence, the in
Ballenstedt
Ballenstedt is a town in the Harz district, in the German state of Saxony-Anhalt.
Geography
It is situated at the northern rim of the Harz mountain range, about 10 km (6 mi) southeast of Quedlinburg. The municipal area comprises the vi ...
(
Harz
The Harz (), also called the Harz Mountains, is a highland area in northern Germany. It has the highest elevations for that region, and its rugged terrain extends across parts of Lower Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, and Thuringia. The name ''Harz'' der ...
).
Buildings and drafts
* 1889–1890: Künstlerhaus St. Lukas in Berlin, Fasanenstraße 13 (unter
Denkmalschutz
The ''Deutsche Stiftung Denkmalschutz'' ("German Foundation for Monument Protection") is a German private initiative founded in 1985 that works for the preservation of cultural heritage in Germany and to promote the idea of cultural heritage man ...
)
* 1890–1895: Wohnhaus Kantstraße 153 in Berlin-Charlottenburg (erster Wohnsitz von
Rudolf Diesel
Rudolf Christian Karl Diesel (, ; 18 March 1858 – 29 September 1913) was a German inventor and mechanical engineer who invented the Diesel engine, which burns Diesel fuel; both are named after him.
Early life and education
Diesel was born on 1 ...
)
* 1891(?):
Königin-Luise-Gedächtnishalle in
Neustrelitz
Neustrelitz (; ) is a town in the Mecklenburgische Seenplatte district in the state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany. It is situated on the shore of the Zierker See in the Mecklenburg Lake District. From 1738 until 1918 it was the capital o ...
* 1892: Mehrfamilienwohnhaus-Paar in Berlin, Carmerstraße 10/11
* 1895–1896:
Theater des Westens
The Theater des Westens (Theatre of the West) is one of the most famous theatres for musicals and operettas in Berlin, Germany, located at 10–12 in Charlottenburg. It was founded in 1895 for plays. The present house was opened in 1896 and ded ...
in Berlin-Charlottenburg, Kantstraße
* 1895–1896: Westtürme der
St. Jakob, Köthen in
Köthen (Anhalt)
Köthen () is a town in Germany. It is the capital of the district of Anhalt-Bitterfeld in Saxony-Anhalt, about north of Halle.
Köthen is the location of the main campus and the administrative centre of the regional university, Anhalt Unive ...
* 1895–1896: Theater „Alt-Berlin“ auf der
Berliner Gewerbeausstellung 1896 in Berlin-Treptow (abgebrochen 1897)
* 1899–1900: Fassade des Warenhauses der ''H. & C. Tietz AG'' in Berlin, Leipziger Straße 46–49 (im Zweiten Weltkrieg zerstört)
* 1901:
Walpurgishalle auf dem
Hexentanzplatz bei
Thale
Thale () is a town in the Harz (district), Harz district in Saxony-Anhalt in central Germany. Located at the steep northeastern rim of the Harz mountain range, it is known for the scenic Bode Gorge stretching above the town centre.
Geography
The ...
(Harz)
* 1902–1904: Stadttheater in
Bielefeld
Bielefeld () is a city in the Ostwestfalen-Lippe Region in the north-east of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. With a population of 341,755, it is also the most populous city in the administrative region () of Detmold (region), Detmold and the L ...
, Niederwall 27 (innen 1937 verändert, 2004–2006 denkmalgerecht saniert)
* 1903–1904: Villa
Löwenpalais in Berlin-Grunewald, Koenigsallee 30/32 (unter Denkmalschutz)
* 1904–1905:
Schauspielhaus in Düsseldorf, Kasernenstraße (im Zweiten Weltkrieg zerstört)
* 1904–1905: Stadttheater in
Halberstadt
Halberstadt (; Eastphalian dialect, Eastphalian: ''Halverstidde'') is a town in the state of Saxony-Anhalt in central Germany, the capital of Harz (district), Harz district. Located north of the Harz mountain range, it is known for its old town ...
(im Zweiten Weltkrieg zerstört)
* 1905: Bismarck-Brunnen in
Breslau, Schlossplatz / Königsplatz
* 1906–1910:
Stadthalle / Musikhalle in
Görlitz
Görlitz (; ; ; ; ; Lusatian dialects, East Lusatian: , , ) is a town in the Germany, German state of Saxony. It is on the river Lusatian Neisse and is the largest town in Upper Lusatia, the second-largest town in the region of Lusatia after ...
, Am Stadtpark 1
* 1907–1908: Stadttheater (heutiges
Staatstheater) in
Cottbus
Cottbus () or (;) is a university city and the second-largest city in the German state of Brandenburg after the state capital, Potsdam. With around 100,000 inhabitants, Cottbus is the most populous city in Lusatia. Cottbus lies in the Sorbian ...
, Schillerplatz
* 1907–1920: Roseburg castle in
Ballenstedt
Ballenstedt is a town in the Harz district, in the German state of Saxony-Anhalt.
Geography
It is situated at the northern rim of the Harz mountain range, about 10 km (6 mi) southeast of Quedlinburg. The municipal area comprises the vi ...
, Sehrings Sommersitz
* before 1914: Expansion of Reisen castle
* before 1914: Reconstruction of the
Berlin Wintergarten theatre
The Berlin Wintergarten theatre was a large variety theatre in Berlin-Mitte.
It opened in 1887 and was destroyed by bombs during the Second World War.
The Skladanowsky brothers showcased the first short film presentation at the theatre in 189 ...
in Berlin, Friedrichstraße
* 1927–1928: Kino
Delphi-Palast in Berlin-Charlottenburg, Kantstraße / Fasanenstraße (Heavily damaged in the Second World War, façade and garden design reconstructed)
Berlin-Charlottenburg Theater des Westens 05-2014.jpg, Theater des Westens in Berlin
Loewenpalais B-Grunewald 07-2017.jpg, Löwenpalais in Berlin
St.Jakob Köthen Westtürme.JPG, West towers of St. Jakob in Köthen
Walpurgishalle Thale.jpg, Walpurgishalle (historical coloured postcard)
Stadttheater-Bi.JPG, Stadttheater Bielefeld
Düsseldorf, Schauspielhaus an der Karl-Theodor-Straße, erbaut von Sehring 1905, Ansicht. .jpg, Schauspielhaus Düsseldorf
Bundesarchiv Bild 183-63751-0004, Görlitz, Boehme-Denkmal, Stadthalle.jpg, Stadthalle Görlitz (as of 1959)
Cottbus staatstheater.jpg, Staatstheater Cottbus (historical coloured postcard)
Ballenstedt Roseburg.jpg, Ballenstedt, Roseburg
References
Further reading
* Ralph Berndt: ''Bernhard Sehring und die Roseburg''. Ein Ensemble des Späthistorismus im Harz. In ' (1/1999), .
External links
Biografie und Werkverzeichnis Sehrings auf den Internetseiten der Roseburg retrieved 15 June 2021
Bestand zu Bernhard Sehringin , retrieved 15 June 2021
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sehring, Bernhard
19th-century German architects
20th-century German architects
Theatre architects
1855 births
1941 deaths
People from Saxony-Anhalt
19th-century German military personnel