Kükelhaus estate in the city archives: A look into forgotten treasures!

Kükelhaus estate in the city archives: A look into forgotten treasures!

The city of Soest is celebrating a special occasion this year: the 125th birthday of Hugo Kükelhaus. On July 10, 2025, the city archives opened its doors for a very special event focusing on the artistic and literary legacy of the versatile artist. In collaboration with the Kükelhaus Society, unpublished works by the creative genius were exhibited and took visitors on a journey through Kükelhaus' impressive work.

The event took place in the air-conditioned, light-protected rooms of the city archives, where a real treasure is hidden: a whopping 3,500 volumes and hundreds of works by Kükelhaus are stored over 25 meters in the vaults of the institution. Jürgen Münch, chairman of the Kükelhaus Society, and Dirk Elbert from the city archives carefully selected representative works from 164 boxes and shelves.

Creativity and diversity in the estate

The estate of Hugo Kükelhaus, who was born in 1900 and died in 1984, is considered the largest in the city archives if you only consider his own works. The works on display covered a wide range: manuscripts, diaries, prints, sketches, publications, correspondence, construction drawings, lectures, radio broadcasts, poems and sound recordings. A very special highlight was the design of a colored glass window with bird motifs from 1963, which impressively showcased the wings of Kükelhaus' creativity.

After Kükelhaus moved to Soest in 1954, he left behind a multifaceted body of work that provided inspiration for pedagogy, architecture and ecological thinking. His legacy is kept alive by the Kükelhaus Society, which has been working in close collaboration with the city archives since 1993. This society has set itself the goal of promoting and disseminating Kükelhaus' work and ideas and carries out numerous projects and events to further his ideas. The ‘Haus Kükelhaus’ serves as a place of remembrance and inspiration where those interested can discover the diversity of his work.

From the cellar to the light

The memory of this creative spirit is also reflected in the organization of the estate. In 1989 the estate was handed over to the city of Soest, with agreements being made with the heirs and the Germanic National Museum in Nuremberg. A comprehensive bibliography of all Kükelhaus writings was published in 1990. The estate currently includes 164 archive boxes, which are documented in a finding aid and whose inventory is constantly being supplemented. But there are restrictions here too: Due to privacy protection and copyright law, access to the complete estate is not possible for everyone.

For anyone interested who would like to delve deeper into the world of Kükelhaus, the Soest City Archives can be found at the email address stadtarchiv@soest.de the opportunity to get in touch. A visit is definitely worth it to bring the inspiration and creativity of this extraordinary person to life.

The complete return of Kükelhaus’ work from the cellar to the light shows how important it is to preserve the cultural treasures of our past and make them accessible to future generations. As Kükelhaus himself once said: “Art is the combination of thoughts and materials.” In Soest this connection is lived with dedication.

For more information about the exhibition and the society that maintains his legacy, take a look at the pages of Soester Anzeiger, Archives Portal Europe and Soest Cultural Office.