The German Academy will once again strengthen the UNESCO World Heritage Site Mathildenhöhe
The German Academy for Language and Literature will return to its headquarters in the Glückert House on the Mathildenhöhe after the completion of extensive restoration work. A corresponding contract was signed by Mayor and Head of Cultural Affairs Hanno Benz, City Treasurer André Schellenberg , Academy President Ingo Schulze , and Secretary General Dr. Julia Cloot .
The city of Darmstadt, a center of science and research, has comprehensively restored the listed building, equipped it with modern building technology, and improved its energy efficiency. In the future, the academy will once again use rooms in the Glückert House in addition to the Olbrich House.
“With this agreement, we are committing ourselves not only to the protection and preservation of an outstanding cultural monument, but also to its vibrant cultural use,” explained Mayor Hanno Benz. The Mathildenhöhe is for Darmstadt “not just a museum, but a place of new beginnings, debate, and the present.”.
The German Academy for Language and Literature has been based in Darmstadt since 1951 and is one of Germany's most important literary institutions. The return to the Große Haus Glückert is also intended to further strengthen the role of the UNESCO World Heritage Site Mathildenhöhe as a center for contemporary art and culture.
Parts of the building will continue to be regularly open to the public – for example, on UNESCO World Heritage Day or Open Monument Day. Furthermore, the ground floor and basement will be shared by the city and the academy. The foyer will also be available for cultural events and city receptions.
The Glückert House was designed in 1901 by Joseph Maria Olbrich for the court furniture manufacturer Julius Glückert and is one of the defining buildings of Darmstadt's Mathildenhöhe. Because the building survived the Second World War largely unscathed, it possesses a special historical authenticity.
City treasurer André Schellenberg described the signing of the contract as a successful conclusion to the restoration project. With the academy's return, the culturally significant building will once again be used for its original purpose.
According to the city, the indefinite contract underlines the goal of not only preserving the Mathildenhöhe as a World Heritage Site, but also developing it further as a vibrant place of culture, education and encounters.
(DARMSTADT – RED/PSD/jdi)
Featured image: The City of Darmstadt and the German Academy for Language and Literature have signed an agreement for the use of rooms in the Glückert House on the Mathildenhöhe. From left: Secretary General Dr. Julia Cloot and President Ingo Schulze of the German Academy for Language and Literature, and Mayor Hanno Benz and City Treasurer André Schellenberg of the City of Darmstadt. Photo: PSD
