Fagus-Werk

The Fagus factory in Alfeld an der Leine, built by Walter Gropius and Adolf Meyer from 1911 onwards, is regarded as the original building of modernism. The architects succeeded in giving a medium-sized company a completely unusual appearance that deviated from the traditional. This was possible because the client and the architect formed a rarely favourable constellation. In the person of the factory owner, life-reformist aspirations were combined with American corporate philosophy. The shoe lasts produced were created using improved production methods on the one hand, and on the other hand according to the latest findings of orthopaedic foot research. The factory building, with its representative objectivity and extensive use of glass, is also an expression of a new entrepreneurial self-confidence and a modern advertising strategy. Fagus is the story of a total work of art and an early example of corporate identity. The factory, a registered monument since 1946, has since been extensively restored and is open to the public. In 2011, the Fagus factory was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Annemarie Jaeggi