Emilie Winkelmann (May 8, 1875 in Aken, Germany - August 1952 Hovedissen near Bielefeld) was the first freelance architect in Germany that ran an independent architecture practice. She also worked in Berlin, Dortmund and Bochum in different architectural offices.
Early life and studies
A daughter of a teacher, Winkelmann learned the trade of a carpenter at a young age in her grandfather's construction business, where she worked on new- or re-construction among other projects. In 1902, even though at that time women in Prussia did not have access to higher education, she was allowed to study at thee Technische Hochschule Hannover as a guest student. She financed her degree and her living expenses by working at a drawing office. However, in 1906, she was not allowed to participate in the state examination for architects.
Career
After her failed attempt to participate in the state exam for architects, Winkelmann went to Berlin, where she worked at a construction firm. Then she opened her own office as the first female freelance architect and, over time, employed up to 15 people who were mostly young women. In 1907 she won first place in an architecture competition for a theater building in the Berliner Blumenstraße. After receiving the commission for the theater, which was built in 1908, many wealthy developers reached out with requests for her to design manors and mansions in Berlin, Babelsberg and Schleswig. Built according to her plans for a large urban tenement, the Leistikowhaus, was constructed in Berlin-Charlottenburg between 1909 and 1910. Between 1910 and 1912 she planned and built numerous rural manors in the Province Pommern, amongst others in Wundichow in Kreis Stolp and in Carwitz in Landkreis Dramburg. In Wieck she was commissioned by the von Lepel family for the reconstruction of their mansion, which was later featured in the newspaper Bauwelt in 1912. In 1912 in Klein Kiesow she erected a twelve-axis county estate. At the Wasserschloss Mellenthin she reconstructed the old horse and cattle stables into living and commercial buildings in a contemporary style. Around 1906 in Alt Necheln close to Brüle the new county estate of the Booth family was built.
In 1913 Emilie Winkelmann drafted, on the behalf of the „Genossenschaft für Frauenheimstätten“ the Neu-Babelsberg-Nowawes, the "Haus in der Sonne“ (House in the Sun). This Building, which is situated in present day on the Hermann-Maaß-Str. 18/20 in Babelsberg, was supposed to be a location where independent women, who worked but were going into retirement, could live in a self-sufficient manner. Around 1914, the building was made up of 14 modern apartments with one to three rooms: one small kitchen, bathrooms and a heated recessed balcony. In a few cases they had their own bathroom and central heating. The further construction had to be stopped due to the start of World War I in 1914. The construction was only continued in 1928 under guidance of the architect Friedrich Lüngen. The most notable structures by Emilie Winkelmann include the Viktoria-Studienhaus build between 1914 and 1915 under the patronage of the empress Auguste Viktoria. Today the building is known as Ottilie-von-Hansemann-Haus on the Otto-Suhr-Allee as a historical and architectural monument in Berlin-Charlottenburg. The exterior structure is tailored to assimilate to the 18th century style. It was at the time a unique living and educational institution for Berlin's female students instituted due to the reforming notions of the feminist movement which was gaining momentum in the city at the time.