Margarethenhöhe is a residential settlement and district in southern Essen, Germany, developed as a garden-city project by the Margarethe Krupp Foundation. The settlement was named after its founder, Margarethe Krupp, and construction took place between 1909 and 1938. 2
The project grew out of Margarethe Krupp’s plan to create housing in Essen. In 1906, on the occasion of her daughter Bertha’s marriage to Gustav von Bohlen and Halbach, she made around 50 hectares of land available to the foundation and donated one million marks. The foundation deed was signed on 1 December 1906, establishing a nonprofit purpose that continues to inform the foundation’s work. 1
Architect and urban planner Georg Metzendorf was selected by the foundation board in 1908; his contract began on 1 January 1909. He led the design and development of the settlement across 29 construction phases. 12 The design followed garden-city principles, with homes set in green surroundings and gardens intended to support residents’ everyday needs. 2 Early houses offered features such as central heating and bathrooms, which were uncommon for the period. 1
The settlement was intended to provide attractive housing not only for Krupp employees but also for other residents of Essen. 25 Today, the foundation manages around 3,100 homes and more than 60 commercial units on Margarethenhöhe, including shops, medical practices, restaurants and other businesses. 9 The project’s developer is the Margarethe Krupp Foundation; Margarethe Krupp established it, and Georg Metzendorf was the architect responsible for the settlement’s design and construction. 12