William Tiedje

Wilhelm Tiedje, 1898-1987, was a German architect born in Hanover. He was a veteran of WW1 who studied architecture at the Technical University of Hannover, Leibniz Universität Hannover, and graduated in 1922 from the Technical University of Stuttgart.

He was taught by Paul Schmitthenner and Paul Bonatz and later became Schmitthenner’s assistant from 1923-1925. From 1925 to 1931 he was employed by the Building Authority of Cologne under the guidance of Adolf Abel alongside two figures who later became more involved in urban planning and architecture within the Nazi party, Theodor Teichen and Julius Schulte-Frohlinde.

Tiedje became a Professor of Architecture at his alma matta, the Technical University of Stuttgart in 1931 and was involved at state level in the creating of the Autobahn road and bridge system from Stuttgart to Wroclaw. He was also involved in a number of urban housing projects including one in the Sonnenberg district of Stuttgart.

When the war ended he was appointed to the Department of Civil Engineering of the TU Stuttgart and also was a member of the Department of Architecture of TU Stuttgart, and therein lies a subtle point – one might even suggest a snub. Tiedje had been a Professor in the Department of Architecture on the run-up to and during the war and now he was merely a member. His professorship was held elsewhere at the University.

In 1951 he accepted the role of Visiting Professor at the University of Istambul.

Tiedje worked continuously until he retired mostly in collaboration with others, frequently civil engineer Rudolf Volz. Projects included Max Kade House in Stuttgart and Aitrach Power Station, the town hall and church in Friedrichshaffen and Reutlingen Town Hall and Wilhelmpalais. He was instrumental in designing segments of the autobahn and bridges connected to the Autobahn including

(list with thanks to the International Database and Gallery of Structures)

Tiedje died in 1987