I

n 1899 peter behrens joined the darmstadt artists’ colony on the Mathildenhohe. The colony was the creation of grand duke ernst-

ludwig hesse, whose family still retained some claim to sovereignty in Hesse, of which Darmstadt was the capital.

ernst-ludwig’s plan was to create a village

exclusively of artists, whose every house, and everything in them, would be beautiful. The artists, including behrens, were chosen and invited by ernst-ludwig. The colony formally opened in 1901 with an exhibition called a document of german art. The subject of the exhibition was the village itself and the eight houses furnished by the resident artists. The houses were open to the public. All the houses but one 

were the work of joseph maria olbrich, the Viennese architect. The eighth was designed by peter behrens. It was his first building.