Bauhaus Legacy
"Bauhaus Legacy" is an interview series exploring the legacy of Walter Gropius, founder of the legendary Bauhaus school in Germany (1919-1933) and one of the 20th century's most influential architects. This project is a collaboration with Historic New England who generously agreed to fund it as part of their ongoing preservation and education efforts related to the Gropius House (1938) in Lincoln, MA, where several of the interviews were filmed.
Dr. Sonja Kreibich
Dr. Sonja Kreibich is the German Consulate General for the New England states.
Our interview touched on many fascinating topics related to the Bauhaus - Modernist architecture and art, WW1 and 2, urban planning, German history and culture, international relations, and the vibrant Weimar era of 1920s Germany.
Dr. Kreibich's professional experience in the arena of US/German relations and diplomacy brought a wealth of interesting perspectives into the discussion.
Nevin Summers
Nevin Summers was Executive Director at MIT's Synthetic Biology Center.
His diverse background spans numerous fields - molecular biology, art, architecture, music, and real estate. These various perspectives, along with personal memories of the decade he spent in close connection with Walter's widow Ise Gropius, made for a wonderful interview.
While the Bauhaus was said to create everything from teacups to buildings, from the small to the large, Nevin's work in biotech explored architecture at the molecular level.
Edward Nilsson
Edward Nilsson is a principle architect at Nilsson + Siden Associates.
We discussed his personal connection to the Gropius family; his fascinating work with The Architect's Collaborative (TAC), of which Gropius was a founding member; Modernism; and architectural preservation.
I was privileged to interview Mr. Nilsson in his stunning home, of his own design. His connections to the Gropius family and TAC, and his architectural knowledge made for a fascinating discussion.
Wolf Burchard
Wolf Burchard is the Curator of British Galleries at NY's Metropolitan Museum of Art and the great-grand nephew of Walter Gropius.
My discussion with Mr. Burchard explored his family's history, including stories passed down about Gropius and his family; the Bauhaus; the Gropius House in Lincoln; and memories of life in Germany during/after both World Wars.
Wolf's family memories and professional connection to the arts made for a wonderful discussion. The oral histories he shared provided a wealth of fascinating information.
