Germany: Emilie Winkelmann
Born in 1875 in Aken, Germany, Emilie Winkelmann was the first woman to establish an independent architectural firm in Germany (1907). She was given special permissions to study architecture as a guest student at the Königliche Technische Hochschule in Hannover, Germany (1902–1907). While she completed the required courses for graduation, her status as a guest student did not allow her to participate in the state exam for architects to obtain a diploma. Her independent architectural firm was established in Berlin and employed 15 people. In addition to practicing architecture, Winkelmann participated in the curation of the architecture materials in the exhibition “Die Frau in Haus und Beruf” (Women in the Home and at Work) at the Zoologischer Garten in Berlin, Germany (1912); this was the first exhibition that featured a group of women architects in Germany. She also earned a gold medal for her Women’s Pavilion design at the International Book and Graphic Arts Exhibition in Leipzig, Germany (1914). During World War II, she relocated to Bielefeld, Germany, where she participated in the efforts to rebuild after the war. Archival materials related to Emilie Winkelmann are located at the Berlinische Galerie in Berlin. Winkelmann died in 1952 in Bielefeld, West Germany.
References
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“Emilie Winkelmann.” Berlinische Galerie. Accessed March 6, 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20110525101658/http://www.berlinischegalerie.de/en/collection/architecture/the-collection/estates-and-holdings-of-work/emilie-winkelmann.html.
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Stratigakos, Despina. “The Professional Spoils of War: German Women Architects and World War I.” Journal of the Society of Architectural Historians 66, no. 4 (December 1, 2007): 464–75. https://doi.org/10.1525/jsah.2007.66.4.464.
Stratigakos, Despina. “Winkelmann, Emilie.” Grove Art Online. September 22, 2014. https://www.oxfordartonline.com/groveart/display/10.1093/gao/9781884446054.001.0001/oao-9781884446054-e-7002271692.
The History of Women Architects: About the History of Women Architects and Designers in the Twentieth Century : A First Survey : Catalogue. Berlin: Union internationale des femmes architectes, Sektion Bundesrepublik e.V, 1986.
“Winkelmann, Emilie .” Berlin Geschichte. Accessed March 6, 2024. https://berlingeschichte.de/lexikon/chawi/w/winkelmann_emilie.htm.
