German Architects in Tbilisi
German Architects in Tbilisi by the architectural historian Maia Mania presents the biographies and works of German architects and engineers active in Tbilisi in the late 19th and early 20th century. Shedding light upon the rich architectural legacy left by the Germans in Tbilisi, the book highlights the major contribution they made to the transformation of urban spaces there.
The book tells the story of the foundation and urban evolution of the so-called Neu-Tiflis (Tiflisser Kolonie) in the then village of Kukia. It traces the development of the settlement of the German colonists who soon upon their arrival opened various artisan shops, breweries, hotels, restaurants, electric cinema houses and small and large enterprises. Special attention is given to the public gardens, single-family homes with gardens and later tenement houses designed and built for them mostly by German architects and engineers.
Offering findings resulting from original research using archival records as well as direct field observations, the book is richly illustrated by design drawings and archival photos, as well as those taken by the author in the last two decades (1994-2018).
Client: Goethe-Institut Georgien
Design, layout and photo editing: George Demetrashvili, Elene Gabrichidze
264 pages, 2018
