Troost, Prof Paul Ludwig.

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Troost, Prof Paul Ludwig, born 17-08-1878 in Elberfeld, was a German architect and favourite with Adolf Hitler. An extremely tall, spare-looking, reserved Westphalian with a close-shaven head, Troost belonged to a school of architects, Peter Behrens, he died age 71, on 27-02-1940 and Walter Gropius,  who died age 86, on 05-07-1969, who, even before 1914, reacted sharply against the highly ornamental Jugendstil and advocated a restrained, lean architectural approach, almost devoid of ornament. Troost graduated from designing steamship décor before World War I and the fittings for showy transatlantic liners like the Europa, to a style that combined Spartan traditionalism with elements of modernity. He was also responsible for the interiors of Haus Heineken (1917)  in Bremen and the Jacobihalle (1925)  in Bremen. As an architect he made his reputation in 1931 with the remodeling of the former Palais Barlow,  Munich, into the Brown House . One of the many structures he planned before his death was the Hitler’s Haus der Deutschen Kunst (“House of German Art”) in Munich, modeled on Schinkel’s Altes Museum in Berlin. The museum was constructed from 1933 to 1937 following Troost’s plans, and was Nazi Germany’s first monumental structure of Nazi architecture. Troost had been a National Socialist since 1924 and as a close friend of Adolf Hitler (did you know) was promoted by him as the first architect of the Reich. Troost’s work after 1931 was a celebration of the Nazi party and its ideology. In the autumn of 1933, he was commissioned to rebuild and refurnish the Chancellery residence in Berlin. Along with other architects, Troost planned and built State and municipal edifices throughout the country, including new administrative offices, social buildings for workers and bridges across the main highways. In 1933 work began on the Haus der Deutschen Kunst in Munich,
      which was to be a showpiece of Nazi painting and sculpture, and which became an icon of Nazi architecture. Its construction and eventual completion were accompanied by a huge publicity and various ceremonies and festivities, where it was always described as ‘Hitler’s work’. The large classical colonnade at the front was reminiscent of the Greco-Prussian austerity of Karl Friedrich Schinkel’s Altes Museum in Berlin.  Although rooted in early 20th century neo-classicism, Troost was not oblivious to modernist developments, as can be seen from the almost cubist forms and the flat unornamented surfaces of the museum. Troost’s remodelling of the Königsplatz, Munich  into a centre for a cult of the dead was begun in 1934. His two Temples of Honour,  were large open classical pavilions, austere and almost barren, commemorating the fallen of the abortive putsch in 1923 (see Bauriedl), but destroyed in 1947,
     , were large open classical pavilions, austere and almost barren. Hitler’s relationship to Troost was that of a pupil to an admired teacher. According to Albert Speer  who later became Hitler’s favorite architect, the Führer would impatiently greet Troost with the words: “I can’t wait, Herr Professor. Is there anything new? Let’s see it!” Troost would then lay out his latest plans and sketches. Hitler frequently declared, according to Speer, that “he first learned what architecture was from Troost”‘ Troost did not live to see the completion of these two works. His unfinished works were completed by his wife Gerdy Troost
 ,   an interior designer, who remained a close confidante of Hitler.

Death and burial ground of Troost, Prof Paul Ludwig.

  Troost died at the age of 55, after a illness, on 21-01-1934 and Hitler posthumously awarded Troost the German National Prize for Art and  Science in 1936. Hitler visited his grave later, on the Nordfriedhof of Munich, where close to the grave of the graves of Heinrich Hoffmann, Hitler’s personal photographer, his daughter Henriette von Schirach Hoffmann and Baldur von Schirach,  Dr. Gustav von Kahr President of the Bavarian court in 1923 during the Putz and some further the youngest secretary of Hitler, Traudl Junge -Humps and Hans, the General der Flieger, Kommandeur Luftwaffe Hongaria, Kuno Fütterer, Bernd Freytag von Loringhoven and Generalleutnant der Artillerie, Commander of the POW in Wehrkreis IV, Erich von Botzheim,  Generalleutnant der Infanterie, Commander of the Reichs Institute for Military Air Protection of the Luftwaffe, Wilhelm von Stubenrauch, Hitler’s driver and founder of the SS Oberführer, Emil Maurice, Hitler’s doctor SS Obersturmführer, Dr. Ludwig Stumpfegger and Generaloberst der Gebirgstruppe, Kommandeur der 3th Gebirgs Division   Eduard Dietl,
he crashed with several other Generals short after visiting Hitler’s Wolfschanze. Two soldiers of the 3th Gebirgs Division, Matthäus Hetzenauer
 an Austrian sniper was credited with 345 kills. On multiple occasions he served with fellow sniper Josef Allerberger . They were able to inflict heavy casualties on Soviet infantry. Hetzenauer was captured by Soviet troops the following month, and served 5 years in routinely appalling conditions in a Soviet prison camp. He died on 03-10-2004, age 79 in Brixen im Thale, after several years of deteriorating health. Josef Allerberger died old age 85, on 01-03-2010 in Wals Siezenheim, Austria.

Message(s), tips or interesting graves for the webmaster:    robhopmans@outlook.com

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