Famous German Architects

Ludwig Mies van der Rohe was a German-American architect. He is widely considered one of the many pioneers of modernist architecture. After emigrating to the United States, Mies worked on structures like the Promontory Apartments. He is best remembered for serving as the director of a popular German art school named the Bauhaus before its closure in 1933.

Walter Gropius was a German architect. Along with Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, Alvar Aalto, and Frank Lloyd Wright, he is regarded as a pioneer in modernist architecture. Gropius founded the Bauhaus School. The large-scale housing projects he designed in Berlin, Karlsruhe, and Dessau in the late 1920s and early 1930s became major contributions to the New Objectivity movement.  

Daniel Libeskind had initially moved to New York on a music scholarship. However, he later deviated to architecture and also taught for a while. One of his most celebrated designs is the Jewish Museum in Berlin. He also won a contest for a proposed design for rebuilding the World Trade Center.

German industrial designer and educator Dieter Rams became one of the first designers to focus on environment-friendly design. He headed design at Braun and designed a furniture collection for Vitsœ. Associated with the functionalist school of design, he believed in "Less, but Better," which was also the name of his 1995 book.

Hermann Tilke is a German racing driver, engineer, and circuit designer. He is credited with designing a number of F1 motor racing circuits. Over the course of his career, Hermann Tilke has designed many popular circuits like the Sepang International Circuit, Shanghai International Circuit, and Marina Bay Street Circuit.

Fritz Todt was a German civil engineer and architect. A senior Nazi, Todt oversaw the construction of Reichsautobahnen, a controlled-access highway, and also served as the Reich Minister for Armaments and Ammunition. Before the start of the Second World War, Todt initiated a military-engineering company called Organisation Todt that oversaw the construction of many Nazi concentration camps. 

Arno Breker was a German architect and sculptor who was active during Nazi rule. The authorities endorsed his work as the antithesis of degenerate art. He created the statue Die Partei, representing the spirit of the Nazi Party. Hitler exempted Breker from military service and provided him several amenities for being the Nazi’s official sculptor. 

Foremost industrial architect and planner of his time, Albert Kahn began his career as an apprentice under a leading Michigan architect. Having little schooling, he mostly learned on the job, eventually establishing his own company, designing most of the large automobile companies in USA, including the Ford River Rouge automobile complex.  Working abroad, he also designed 521 factories in  U.S.S.R.

Considered one of the pioneers of industrial design, German architect Peter Behrens had built his own house and all his furniture at the Darmstadt artists’ colony. The AEG Turbine Factory was one of his best-known works, and he had also designed their electric fans, lamps, and retail shops.

Karl Friedrich Schinkel was a Prussian painter, city planner, and architect. One of the most important architects of Germany, Schinkel designed both neogothic and neoclassical buildings. Apart from designing buildings, Karl Friedrich Schinkel also designed stage sets and furniture.

German-American architect Helmut Jahn was a significant figure of postmodern movement and is remembered for his steel-and-glass structures. His best-known works include Thailand’s Suvarnabhumi Airport and Germany’s Munich Airport Center. A yachting enthusiast, he owned three yachts named after his nickname, Flash Gordon. He died in a bicycle accident.

Ole Scheeren is a German urbanist and architect. Best known as the chief of the Büro Ole Scheeren Group, Scheeren has received several awards including the Global Urban Habitat Award, International Highrise Award, and Scheffel Medal. Scheeren is also known for his association with the University of Hong Kong, where he has been serving as a visiting professor since 2010.

François de Cuvilliés was a Bavarian architect and decorative designer. He played a key role in bringing the Rococo style to the House of Wittelsbach and to Central Europe. He designed several important buildings, such as The Old Residence Theatre which he constructed for Elector Max III Joseph. François de Cuvilliés also wrote many treatises on decorative and artistic subjects.

Manfred Ramminger was a German architect and KGB agent. He is best remembered for stealing an American AIM-9 Sidewinder, which he brought to the Soviet Union. In 1968, Manfred Ramminger was arrested along with his aides by West German authorities.

Wolf Huber was an Austrian printmaker, painter, and architect who lived and worked in Germany for many years. An important member of the popular Danube school, Huber served as a court painter. His works influenced other artists, including his contemporary Augustin Hirschvogel.

Carl Humann, one of the 19th century self-made archaeologists who never studied archaeology nor did any advanced degree in the field, rose to prominence after he discovered the Pergamon Altar that is counted among the finest examples of Hellenistic sculpture. His excavation of the ancient Greek city of Pergamum also brought to light much about Hellenistic city planning.

Hungarian-German architect József Hild was a major figure of neoclassical architecture of his time. Born to a Bohemian architect, he studied architecture under Charles Moreau and then went to Italy for further training. He later worked as the city architect of Pest, building structures such as the Lloyd Palace.