The design theorist Friedrich von Borries and the historian Jens-Uwe Fischer together researched the biography and oeuvre of the architect and designer Franz Ehrlich (1907–1984) at the HFBK (University of Fine Arts) in Hamburg. Among other results, the research project gave rise to the biographical essay Gefangen in der Titotalitätsmaschine (Captive in the Titotality Machine; Suhrkamp Verlag, 2022) and the audio walk “Der Bauhäusler Franz Ehrlich in Buchenwald” (The Bauhausler Franz Ehrlich in Buchenwald).
Ehrlich had studied at the legendary Bauhaus. He was imprisoned in the Buchenwald concentration camp for his dedication to the antifascist cause. Assigned to work as a designer in the construction office at Buchenwald, he operated in the grey area between resistance and collaboration. His activities increased his own chances of survival and those of other inmates. After his release from the concentration camp, Ehrlich worked for the SS as an architect.
At various sites in the memorial, the audio walk looks at Ehrlich’s complex story from different angles, discusses the relationship between modern design and Nazi politics and poses the fundamental question: “What can we learn from Ehrlich’s life journey for ourselves, our time and our society?”
Audiowalk-Download / Audio walk download:
“Der Bauhäusler Franz Ehrlich in Buchenwald” is a project by Jens-Uwe Fischer | with Refrakt (Alexander Govoni, Carla Streckwall) | as a production of HFBK Hamburg, design theory, Prof. Dr. Friedrich von Borries | in cooperation with Klassik Stiftung Weimar and the Buchenwald and Mittelbau-Dora Memorials Foundation| sponsored by the German Research Foundation and the Kulturstiftung des Freistaats Thüringen
