Wilhelm Wagenfeld was born on April 15th in Bremen in 1900 and was one of the most important German industrial designers of the 20th century and Bauhaus student.
After his apprenticeship in a silverware factory and the attendance of the Zeichenakademie in Hanau at the Bauhaus from 1923-1925, he took part in a preliminary course at Moholy and he trained in a metal workshop.
His first table light, which Wagenfeld created in Weimar, the Bauhaus-light from 1924 is highly praised by his masters and sold in large quantities. During his time in Weimar, first as assistant, then as teacher at the Staatliche Bauhochschule till 1930, many more products followed, in particular lights, tea sets and different tableware, all of them characterised by a precise form severity and the endeavour for perfection.
In 1942 Wagenfeld is conscripted into the war and sent to the east front, from where he only gets back in 1945 after having been in Russian war captivity.
In 1954 he founded the “Werkstatt Wagenfeld“ for the development of industrial models.
In the next years, he designed many items in glass or metal, among others for the “Glaswerk Schott & Gen.” in Jena, for the “Vereinigte Lausitzer Glaswerke” in Weißwasser, for Rosenthal and for WMF. Due to his simple designs for both functional and beautiful household objects made of metal or glass, Wilhelm Wagenfeld has become one of the most important industrial designers of his time.
Some of his creations, like, for example, the “Wagenfeld-Leuchte“ as design classic are still produced today.
The Wagenfeld Workshop closed in 1978.
The Bauhaus lamp has been re-edited by Tecnolumen in its original design of 1924 and further designs of the 1920s, since 1980.
Wilhelm Wagenfeld passed by the 28.05.1990 in Stuttgart and he was buried in Collex-Bossy, Switzerland.
Website by Wilhelm Wagenfeld
Tecnolumen
Jenaer Glas