Germany to help Tel Aviv preserve Bauhaus buildings

BERLIN — Germany is committed to help Israel preserve an architectural legacy that recalls Jewish design pioneers who fled the Nazi regime in the 1930s.

Germany will invest $3.2 million over the coming nine years to help save Bauhaus-style buildings in the historic “White City” district of Tel Aviv, Barbara Hendricks, German minister for the environment, nature conservation, building and nuclear safety, announced recently.

The funds — the first installment of which was presented to Tel Aviv Mayor Ron Huldai in May — will also go towards creating a Bauhaus Center in the city’s Max Liebling House, which is due to open in 2017. Reportedly, the center will serve as a hub for experts involved in planning and overseeing restoration work.

The “White City” is the world’s largest Bauhaus settlement, with more than 4,000 buildings. The district was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2003.

Its architects were students of German architect Walter Gropius (1883-1969). Many brought building materials to then-British Mandatory Palestine with them.

Reportedly, the buildings have been adversely affected by the salty sea air, and original items such as windows and doors cannot be easily replaced.