Siedlung Pottgiesserhof: practical apartments for Krupp employees

At the western edge of Frohnhausen a small hamlet known as Overrath once stood. Of this hamlet one historic farmhouse still stands on the grounds of a geriatric hospital. The name translates as the land cleared for cultivation (rath) at the other side (over), most likely on the other side of the Borbecker Mühlenbach as seen from Schönebeck. One of the four original farms of Overrath named Pottgiesserhof belonged to the Counts of Isenburg, the others to the Abbey of Essen and Werden respectively. Through marriage the farm is transferred to the Bäcker (=Baker) family in 1871. They sell of their entire holdings to the Krupp Firm in 1935.

The Friedrich Krupp AG has had plans drawn up whilst the sale is being discussed, so the first resident can move in in 1936. In total 288 dwellings are constructed in several buildings, all apartment blocks. The housing was purpose-built for Krupp-employees. The old farmhouse was torn down in 1937 and replaced by the club house Eigene Scholle.

The urban plan was very practical and made best use of the land available for housing by dividing up the housing estate into 3 sections separated by existing through roads. Each section -or neighbourhood- was designed by another architect. This means that this is one of the few examples of Krupp factory housing that can't be called ensemble architecture. The architecture is mostly angular like the basically orthogonal spatial distribution of the housing blocks. Only peculiarities in the site (shape or slope of the terrain) have lead to specific design solutions.

There was clearly no overall plan nor communication between architects or attunement of design details. The overall impression of the buildings is simple and thus in keeping with the spatial plan. In some instances -for instance around the entrances- some decorative detailing has been used. These details betray a Jugendstil design aesthetic which fits the 1930s. The decorative elements of other Krupp housing are absent here.

A small section of the housing was devastated during WW2 and rebuilt almost after original plans in 1947. From 1954 the city of Essen is responsible for the social housing and the apartments have been renovated and improved several times since. Most notably the coal furnaces have been replaces by a central gas boiler. Two small dwellings were combined into 1 larger new apartment in the 1990s and sold off to the residents.

The Siedlung Pottgiesserhof comprises of three parts (A, B and C) that all show characteristics of New Objectivism. Each section was designed by a different architect. The hatched section are blocks that were rebuilt in the 1940s. Of the hamlet Overrath only the Grotehof (1) remains. It stands on the grounds of a geriatric hospital (2). Directly adjacent a primary school (3) was built. A large sports park (4) was created out of the remaining arable land of the hamlet. Directly north of the housing estate the station of Essen-Frohnhausen (5) provides direct transport links. On the edge of the older speculative housing en the housing estate large garden square (6) was created planted with trees and shrubs. A large playground has been incorporated in the layout.