Architectural Jewel
In 1892, a cholera epidemic devastated the docklands population, convincing the city of Hamburg to demolish the warren of overcrowded, unhygienic alleyways and start again. First came the Speicherstadt, the largest warehouse district in the world built between 1885 and 1927. Then came the Kontorhaus district. Both are part of the World Heritage site designated in 2015.
The Sprinkenhof is an architectural masterpiece and one of the great examples of Brick Expressionism, with lovely details like the intricate, late-art deco interior staircase and one of the few remaining paternoster elevators. Designed by architects Fritz Höger and the Jewish brothers Hans and Askar Gerson in 1927, the Sprinkenhof took 16 years to build in three phases. Construction was delayed by economic crises and political upheaval, the death of Hans Gerson in 1931, his brother’s persecution and eventual exile in 1938. The building was finally inaugurated in May 1943. Two months later, Allied firebombs gutted parts of it, causing damage that took years to repair.
Architectural Jewel
In 1892, a cholera epidemic devastated the docklands population, convincing the city of Hamburg to demolish the warren of overcrowded, unhygienic alleyways and start again. First came the Speicherstadt, the largest warehouse district in the world built between 1885 and 1927. Then came the Kontorhaus district. Both are part of the World Heritage site designated in 2015.
The Sprinkenhof is an architectural masterpiece and one of the great examples of Brick Expressionism, with lovely details like the intricate, late-art deco interior staircase and one of the few remaining paternoster elevators. Designed by architects Fritz Höger and the Jewish brothers Hans and Askar Gerson in 1927, the Sprinkenhof took 16 years to build in three phases. Construction was delayed by economic crises and political upheaval, the death of Hans Gerson in 1931, his brother’s persecution and eventual exile in 1938. The building was finally inaugurated in May 1943. Two months later, Allied firebombs gutted parts of it, causing damage that took years to repair.