The church at Hohenzollernplatz in Berlin, familiarly known as “God’s power station,” is widely considered a masterpiece of German Expressionist brick architecture. It is based on a design by Ossip Klarwein (1893–1970), who, despite the prominence of this building, still receives little recognition for his architectural achievements.

In Israel, Klarwein shaped the architectural landscape of the newly founded state with the construction of the Knesset in Jerusalem as well as numerous other projects. Even here, there is as of yet no detailed analysis of his legacy. This monograph fills that gap and for the first time exhibits a thorough examination of his work.

Klarwein’s life is unique and yet representative of an entire generation from Eastern Central Europe. Born in 1893 in Russian-Poland, he fled the pogroms in the crumbling Tsarist Empire with his family to settle in Offenbach and Mainz. In 1933, he was forced to emigrate again, this time from Hamburg to Haifa in the precarious British Mandate territory of Palestine. As a wanderer between worlds, Klarwein repeatedly changed his first name.

In his work as an architect, he initiated numerous important impulses that continue to resonate to this day. The publication serves as an overview of Klarwein’s oeuvre. It makes extensive sources from his scattered estate available for the first time and aims to stimulate further research.