Karl Nikolaus Bonatz (1882–1951) was a German architect, best known for designing a

bunker A bunker is a defensive military fortification designed to protect people and valued materials from falling bombs, artillery, or other attacks. Bunkers are almost always underground, in contrast to blockhouses which are mostly above ground. ...

in 1943 that is now an art gallery. He was the younger brother of fellow architect Paul Bonatz. The brothers presented a plan for modernising the Hôpital civil de Strasbourg and were commissioned by the city, their then hometown, to carry out the plans. After completing successively the clinic for epidemic diseases (1906), the general technical buildings (1909), the pediatric clinics (1910), the maternity clinic (1911), the neurological clinic (1912), the surgical clinic B, the medical clinic B, the radiological department and the baths (1914) Karl was recruited in 1915 to serve in World War One. Thereafter he returned to

Strasbourg Strasbourg (, , ; german: Straßburg ; gsw, label=Bas Rhin Alsatian, Strossburi , gsw, label=Haut Rhin Alsatian, Strossburig ) is the prefecture and largest city of the Grand Est region of eastern France and the official seat of the Eu ...

and in 1919 he opened an architectural firm of his own, before being expelled from France in 1921. After several stations, among others in Merseburg working in public service of the

Province of Saxony The Province of Saxony (german: link=no, Provinz Sachsen), also known as Prussian Saxony () was a province of the Kingdom of Prussia and later the Free State of Prussia from 1816 until 1944. Its capital was Magdeburg. It was formed by the merge ...

he changed position and served as Magistratsoberbaurat, one of Berlin's several equally ranked high city officials for construction, between 1927 and 1937. In 1940 he was employed by

Albert Speer Berthold Konrad Hermann Albert Speer (; ; 19 March 1905 – 1 September 1981) was a German architect who served as the Minister of Armaments and War Production in Nazi Germany during most of World War II. A close ally of Adolf Hitler, he ...

in his office of inspector general for constructions in Berlin. Bonatz designed several bunkers, among them the Reichsbahnbunker (railway bunker), built in Mitte, Berlin, that could house 3,000 people. Planning began in 1943, under the supervision of

. Bonatz succeeded

Hans Scharoun Bernhard Hans Henry Scharoun (20 September 1893 – 25 November 1972) was a German architect best known for designing the Berliner Philharmonie (home to the Berlin Philharmonic) and the Schminke House in Löbau, Saxony. He was an important ...

as chief planner of

West Berlin West Berlin (german: Berlin (West) or , ) was a political enclave which comprised the western part of Berlin during the years of the Cold War. Although West Berlin was de jure not part of West Germany, lacked any sovereignty, and was under mi ...

. Both intended the reconstruction of the

Berliner Schloss The Berlin Palace (german: Berliner Schloss), formally the Royal Palace (german: Königliches Schloss), on the Museum Island in the Mitte area of Berlin, was the main residence of the House of Hohenzollern from 1443 to 1918. Expanded by order of ...

, which was later demolished by the socialist regime.Maether: ''Die Vernichtung des Berliner Stadtschlosses.'' 2000, S. 41–44.

References

1882 births 1951 deaths 20th-century German architects {{Germany-architect-stub