Bauernhauser, so Schon wie Furnstenhofe! [Farmhouses – as beautiful as princely estates!]

A visual review of Germany’s diverse rural architecture.

This lovely pictorial map of European farmhouses captures the specific folk aesthetic popular in West Germany during the 1950s Wirtschaftswunder (Economic Miracle). Regional identities were resuscitated and celebrated in a variety of media. The image highlights the diverse habitations enjoyed by historic rural cultures across German territory (including East Prussia). According to the accompanying text, the structures are still inhabited and farmed today. It goes on, “While their beauty is undeniable, their chances of surviving the march of time toward modern farm facilities are slim.”

The map was designed by Bernd Bochie, featuring illustrations from the popular children’s artist Rotraut Hinderks-Kutscher. Published around 1955 as the Grosse Farbtafel (Great Color Plate) in an issue of Constanze, the first ‘modern’ lifestyle magazine for German women after WWII.