‘It’s a shame I’m not ‘well-known’.

In modernist Berlin, Charlottenburg served as a testing ground for New Objectivity and Expressionism. Right in the middle of it was Marlene Poelzig (1894–1985). As a sculptor, installation artist, and architect, she moved easily between disciplines. As the director/senior member of the of the Bauatelier Poelzig, she played a decisive role in shaping the joint architectural studio which she ran jointly with Hans Poelzig.

Three key buildings in Charlottenburg are representative of her work: The Capitol Kino am Zoo, the Haus des Rundfunks [Broadcasting House], and her own house and studio in Westend.  They reflect her artistic development, which she was unable to continue in National Socialist Berlin.
In 2020, the Haus Marlene Poelzig Initiative was founded in protest against the threatened demolition of the villa in Westend. The house is no longer standing, but its demolition sparked a reassessment of Marlene Poelzig’s oeuvre.

The exhibition, initiated and conceived by the Initiative and Urbanophil e.V., highlights Marlene Poelzig’s work through three of her key buildings.