Bear with me, this is complicated. Ernst Ludwig, the founder of the Darmstadt Artists Colony is the son of Grand Duke Ludwig IV who was married to Princess Alice, the third child of Queen Victoria of England. Ernst Ludwig's sister, Alix, married Tsar Nicholas II and became Tsarina Alexandra. When the rulers of Russia visited Darmstadt, they needed a place to pray. Leonty Benois designed the church shown here to make that possible. It is said to be in the "Early Yaroslavl" style and was built in 1899 entirely of materials imported from Russia.
Across the square at Mathildenhohe is the Wedding Tower and Exhibition Hall designed for Ernst Ludwig's second marriage by Joseph Maria Olbrich and completed in 1908.
Olbrich's own house at Malthildenhohe has been destroyed and rebuilt in a way that very little is original. The tiles and gate shown here are, at the very least, very good copies of the originals.
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Mike Mense FAIA
Owner
mmenseArchitects
Anchorage AK
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