Villa Esche mit Henry van de Velde Museum

Herbert Eugen Esche was repeatedly confronted with critical questions about the design of his villa, not only from those in his wider circle but also from his immediate family. At least, that is how Esche’s son, Hans Ebert, recalled it many years later. What was meant was the construction of a large villa out in the potato fields on the outskirts of Chemnitz. An unusual house, massive, unadorned and with a tremendous presence. What is now considered Chemnitz’s architectural gem was met with scepticism at the time.

Herbert Eugen Esche was born in Chemnitz in 1874. The family ran Germany’s largest hosiery factory on Walkgraben. In 1899, he married Johanna Luise Körner, and the twins were born that very same year.

The young couple were art lovers and cosmopolitan. Prof. Dr Christian von Boczikowski, Chairman of the Henry Van de Velde Society of Saxony e.V. in Chemnitz, tells us how the Esche family came across the Belgian architect Henry van de Velde: “Herbert Esche and his wife were initially looking for furnishings for their flat as they settled into their new life together. As they were not your typical married couple, they wanted to do something special and, whilst reading art magazines, came across Van de Velde, who had already furnished several flats in Germany.”

When the idea for a new villa arose, the Esches didn’t have to think long about who would bring the project to life. Henry van de Velde was faced with the highly appealing task, in every respect, of creating a modern Gesamtkunstwerk. It was not just a matter of the architectural design of the new house, but also of the complete interior design – from the furniture, through the home textiles and lighting, right down to the tableware. Everything was to be designed as a cohesive whole.

“Van de Velde held the view that one’s entire life should be shaped artistically, in other words, that it should form a unified whole. Today, we would certainly call this a ‘lifestyle’, and so Van de Velde was a lifestyle consultant to the Esche family.”

In 1904, the Escher family moved into their new home and filled it with life. Guests were always welcome, and the Eschers were a radiant focal point of social life. In 1905, the Norwegian painter Edvard Munch was a guest at Villa Escher. He painted several portraits of the parents and both children.

However, the family’s carefree life came to an abrupt end just a few years later. In 1911, Johanna Luise Esche died at the age of just 33. From one day to the next, Herbert Eugen withdrew to the villa with his two children, leading a very private life. This heavy personal blow was compounded by business problems. Over the years, the hosiery factory had failed to keep up with the times and lose its foothold in the global market.

In the summer of 1945, Soviet occupying forces evicted Herbert Escher from his home. The villa became the command centre for the Soviet troops. In the autumn of 1945, the businessman left his bombed-out hometown. He never saw his villa or the city of Chemnitz again. Until his death in 1962, Herbert Eugen Esche lived with his daughter’s family in Switzerland.

The imposing Art Nouveau building on Kapellenberg housed the Soviet command centre and the State Security service, and subsequently served as an educational institution for several years. After German reunification, the Esche Villa stood empty. Between 1998 and 2001, it underwent extensive renovation and restoration, after which the Art Nouveau building reopened its doors to visitors, just as it had in the past. The magnificent rooms now house the Henry Van de Felde Museum, which forms part of the Chemnitz Art Collections. With largely original furnishings, the dining room and music room on the ground floor offer a striking glimpse into the past. The Esche family’s former private rooms can also be viewed. The former bedrooms and bathroom on the upper floor demonstrate that Van de Felde’s modern overall design was indeed realised down to the very last detail.

“Architectural connoisseurs very often visit Villa Esche because it is one of the earliest examples of how interior and exterior design come together. The use of different materials – such as stone and wood, and even in the plasterwork – also emphasises this impression in a way that was previously unheard of, whilst blending seamlessly into the surrounding landscape. You have to bear in mind that the house was built on an open plot of land. And the fact that, as you can see now, it has developed into a park-like landscape that surrounds the house, creating a unified whole between the house and the gardens, is what makes it so special.”