Walter Curt Behrendt papers, 1910-1945

Summary Information

Abstract

Walter Curt Behrendt (1884-1945) was a German-American architect and an active advocate of German modernism. The collection is composed primarily of lectures and writings.

At a Glance

Arrangement

Arrangement

This collection is arranged in five series: Biographical Information, Faculty Papers, Lectures, Personal Papers, and Writings.

• Series I: Faculty Papers
• Series II: Lectures
• Series III: Personal Papers
• Series IV: Writings
• Subseries 1: Other
• Subseries 2: Articles
• Subseries 3: Book Reviews

Description

Scope and Content

The Walter Curt Behrendt papers are composed primarily of lectures and writings.

Series I: Faculty Papers contains papers related to Behrendt's career at Dartmouth College, including attendance cards, a grade book, examinations and a proposal for a class on building types from the Middle Ages to the present. The series also includes drafts of a letter explaining how Behrendt believes architects should be educated.

Series II: Lectures contains scripts, notes and slide lists of lectures Behrendt gave at Dartmouth College, Princeton University, Wheaton College and talks he gave in Germany. Most of the lectures are annotated. The majority of the lectures deal with the development of cities, city planning, regional planning, modern architecture, housing, transportation and zoning. The lectures cover the history of architecture from antiquity through the 1940s, including Greek, Rome, the Arts and Crafts Movement, the Art Nouveau Movement, and the International Style.

Series III: Personal Papers contains two letters from the contractor W.H. Trumbull regarding the construction of Behrendt's house. It also contains a letter from J. F. Schoellkopf, Jr. regarding the National Recreation Association. The series also contains biographical information, which lists Walter Curt Behrendt's education, civil service work in Prussia and Germany, and his career after he emigrated to the US in 1934.

Series IV: Writings contains annotated manuscripts by Behrendt covering city planning, modern architecture and housing. There are essays on organic forms, Frank Lloyd Wright, Japanese houses, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, the New Spirit of Building and the Origin of the Spirit of Modern Architecture. Subseries 2: Articles primarily contains articles on urban reconstruction and German architecture and architects such as, Alfred Messels, Hans Grisebach, and Hans Poelzig. Subseries 3: Book Reviews contains reviews written by Behrendt. Behrendt reviewed books by Lewis Mumford, Herman Kobbe and Henry-Russell Hitchcock.

• Series I: Faculty Papers

  contains papers related to Behrendt's career at Dartmouth College, including attendance cards, a grade book, examinations and a proposal for a class on building types from the Middle Ages to the present. The series also includes drafts of a letter explaining how Behrendt believes architects should be educated.

• Series II: Lectures

  contains scripts, notes and slide lists of lectures Behrendt gave at Dartmouth College, Princeton University, Wheaton College and talks he gave in Germany. Most of the lectures are annotated. The majority of the lectures deal with the development of cities, city planning, regional planning, modern architecture, housing, transportation and zoning. The lectures cover the history of architecture from

• Series III: Personal Papers

  contains two letters from the contractor W.H. Trumbull regarding the construction of Behrendt's house. It also contains a letter from J. F. Schoellkopf, Jr. regarding the National Recreation Association. The series also contains biographical information, which lists Walter Curt Behrendt's education, civil service work in Prussia and Germany, and his career after he emigrated to the US in 1934.

• Series IV: Writings

  contains annotated manuscripts by Behrendt covering city planning, modern architecture and housing.

Publication Date

1910-1945

Using the Collection

Avery Architectural and Fine Arts Library

Restrictions on Access

This collection is available for use by appointment in the Department of Drawings & Archives, Avery Architectural and Fine Arts Library, Columbia University. For further information and to make an appointment, please email avery-drawings@library.columbia.edu.

Terms Governing Use and Reproduction

Permission to publish must be obtained in writing from the Director, Avery Architectural & Fine Arts Library, Columbia University, 1172 Amsterdam Ave., MC 0301, New York, NY 10027.

Preferred Citation

Walter Curt Behrendt papers, 1910-1945. Department of Drawings & Archives, Avery Architectural and Fine Arts Library, Columbia University.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Accession number--1969.006.

About the Finding Aid / Processing Information

Columbia University Libraries, Avery Architectural and Fine Arts Library

Processing Information

Processed; Kerri Pfister 2011.

Revision Description

2011-03-02 File created.

2019-05-20 EAD was imported spring 2019 as part of the ArchivesSpace Phase II migration.

Subject Headings

The subject headings listed below are found in this collection. Links below allow searches at Columbia University through the Archival Collections Portal and through CLIO, the catalog for Columbia University Libraries, as well as ArchiveGRID, a catalog that allows users to search the holdings of multiple research libraries and archives.

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Subject

History / Biographical Note

Biographical / Historical

Walter Curt Behrendt was born December 16, 1884 in Metz, Alsace and died in April 26, 1945 in Norwich, Vermont. From 1912-1933, Behrendt worked in Civil Service in Germany shaping public housing policy, the principles of lay-out and development. Behrendt emigrated to the United States in 1934 and became a Visiting Lecturer in Housing and City Planning at Dartmouth College, 1934-1937. In 1937-1941, Behrendt was a Professor of City Planning and Housing at the University at Buffalo, SUNY and returned to Dartmouth in 1941.