Theo Pabst

Theodor Pabst (15 January 1905 – 4 October 1979) was a German architect, civil servant and professor.

Theo Pabst
Born	(1905-01-15)15 January 1905 Passau, German Empire
Died	4 October 1979(1979-10-04) (aged 74) Munich, West Germany
Alma mater	Technical University of Munich
Occupations	Architect civil servant professor

Early life and education

Theodor Pabst was born in Passau,^[1] the son of Royal Bavarian State Railways surveyor Theodor Pabst. In 1910, his father was transferred to Regensburg, where the family would experience World War I and the post-war period. In 1921, the family moved to Munich.^[2]

In the winter of 1924, Pabst began studying architecture at the Technical University of Munich under professors Theodor Fischer and German Bestelmeyer. He graduated in 1929.^[3]

Career

After graduating, Pabst worked as a construction trainee at the Munich Oberpostdirektion [de] under Oberbaurat Franz Holzhammer [de]. There he completed the government builder state exam in 1931. Unable to find work, he moved to the office of his fellow student Albert Heinrich Steiner [de] in Zürich.^[2]

On May 1, 1933, Pabst joined the Nazi Party, allegedly to be able to participate in competitions and improve his chances of finding employment. He was a caretaker and block helper for the National Socialist People's Welfare. He was drafted into military service several times in World War II. From 1941 to 1945, he was a major in the Luftwaffe Building Council in Russia. In his memoirs, Pabst did not speak on his exact activities as a construction officer for the Luftwaffe.^[2]

Later life

In 1948, on the recommendation of Ernst Neufert, Pabst became a substitute architecture professor at the Technische Universität Darmstadt.^[1][3] He received a full time teaching position on 17 June 1949, and taught at the TU Darmstadt until 1972.^[1][2]

Pabst died in Munich on 4 October 1979.^[1]

Selected works

Neue Maxburg in Munich

• 1933–1934: Fliegerhorst Göppingen^[2]
• 1934: Nazi Mustersiedlung in Munich^[2][4]
• 1954–1955: Institut für Massivbau at the Technische Universität Darmstadt^[5]
• 1950–1951: Merckhaus in Darmstadt^[2][5]
• 1950–1951: Galeria Kaufhof in Munich^[3]
• 1953: Haus Schlotter in Darmstadt^[2]
• 1953–1957: Neue Maxburg in Munich (with Sep Ruf)^[6]
• 1956–1957: Kunsthalle Darmstadt^[2][7]
• 1960–1965: Neustädter Rathaus in Hanau^[2][8]
• 1964–1966: Mannheimer Kunstverein^[2][9]