Richard Herre

Richard Herre (1885–1959) was one of the key figures in the development of the Modern Movement on the Stuttgart scene of the 1920s. Although his relevance was primarily local, his work has been rediscovered in recent years thanks to the German brand e15, which—building on the significant promotional efforts of Herre’s heirs—successfully reissued his acclaimed Stuttgart chair. Herre’s activity focused mainly on interior design: only one building is known to have been entirely designed by him, while he carried out numerous interior projects for both private residences and public spaces, including the Ministry of the Interior of Baden-Württemberg. He custom-designed furniture, lighting, and textiles for each project, creating fully coordinated environments characterized by a restrained minimalism. Among his primary sources of inspiration were the work of Adolf Loos and the traditional style of Japanese houses. He was also deeply involved in the activities of the Deutscher Werkbund, including the landmark exhibition Die Wohnung, held in Stuttgart in 1927. For this occasion, many of the leading figures of the Bauhaus were invited to design new modernist buildings, forming the residential complex known as the Weissenhof Estate; Herre was responsible for the interiors of the house designed by Max Taut. In addition to his work in interiors, Herre was active in graphic design and authored several essays. He also personally translated the first German edition of Le Corbusier’s Modulor, a foundational text of modernist architecture.