Harry Elte is best known as the architect of the synagogue on Jacob Obrechtplein in Amsterdam. This monumental building with its carefully designed interior from 1927 is the highlight of his oeuvre and is one of the most important Dutch synagogues from the interwar period. Less well known is that he additionally designed seven synagogues and directed the remodeling or restoration of four others. Partly because of his other buildings for Jewish institutions, this did make him the most important architect in Jewish circles in the first half of the 20th century. His residential complexes and villas are also an important part of his oeuvre. In the early years of his career he was closely involved with the artists' association "de Onafhankelijken" and later with the founding of the Nederlandsch Instituut van Architecten.1 Harry Elte was born in Amsterdam on September 3, 1880, the son of Philip Elte (1844-1918) and Sara Elisabeth Nijburg (1850-1920). His house of birth, 173 Nieuwe Herengracht, was in that part of the Jewish quarter where traditionally more wealthy people lived. His original first name was Hartog, after his father's brother.2 He was the fifth child in the family that would eventually number seven, after the young death of a son. In his own words, he was "the darling of his father, whom he still remembers with reverence. "3 The parents were Orthodox Jews. Philip Elte had been educated at the Seminary to become a maggid (candidate rabbi), worked as a religious educator, and since 1875 had been editor-in-chief of the Nieuw Israelietisch Weekblad, the most widely read Jewish periodical, the number of subscribers of which grew steadily in his time. This position, which he retained until his death - the N.I.W. was called "Elte's little newspaper" - gave him an influential position in the Jewish community, which he used to propagate his generally traditional, sometimes narrow-minded and controversial, ideas and to fight Zionism with razor-sharp pen. A combative, tenacious and not always easy for others, traits that were also reflected in his son.4 An uncle of Harry, his father's brother, Hartog Elte, though called Herman, was founder and for forty years headmaster of a Jewish special elementary school, which was named Herman Elteschool after him. It was there that Harry received his first education. The sons did not follow in father Philip's footsteps. The oldest son became a textile trader, two daughters became costume seamstresses and two chose musical professions: harpist and piano teacher. Harry Elte attended the trade school where he obtained the final diploma in furniture making.5 After that, he focused more on architecture by taking classes at the Evening Drawing School for Craftsmen.6 Starting in 1896, he gained practical experience at various architectural firms. He worked, initially as an apprentice or volunteer7, with successively G. van Arkel, H.H. Baanders, J. Herman and Z. Deenik; architects of the "Transitional Architecture" of the turn of the century. Elte then worked in the office of H.P. Berlage from 1899 to 1909. He proved to be a skilled draughtsman. He made presentation drawings for Berlage that were published in the Hedendaagsche Kunst section of De Architect.8 He may have been involved in the construction of the ANDB building and the Beurs, which were completed in 1900 and 1903. So he experienced the change from neo-styles to contemporary architecture very closely. In recent years, Elte worked half-days at Berlage so that he could have time for his own commissions and thus prepare for his own practice. He worked for some time in Germany and London9 and study trips to Italy and Scandinavia, among other places, contributed to his development.10 Independent architect One of his first works as an independent architect was the club and barge house for the Amsterdam Rowing and Sailing Association 'Poseidon' on the Amstel River (1909). It was erected in wood, still in a sober that is, austere Art Nouveau style. The building was demolished some time ago. As a young architect, he was asked in 1910 to design street decorations for that year's Juliana celebrations in Amsterdam. He drew inspiration from decorations by W. Kromhout for earlier festivities. Soon Elte's commissions increased. His subsequent designs included the canning factory 'Puralimento' (1910), the diamond club 'Concordia' (1910) in Amsterdam, the villa Kraijenbrink in The Hague (1911), the residential houses Johannes Vermeerstraat 49-53 (1911), the villa Reens (1912) and the office and store building for the firm Lewenstein on Dam Square (1912) in Amsterdam. The influence of Berlage is clearly recognizable in all of these buildings. The buildings had unplastered, rather austere, heavy brick facades with decorative blocks and bands of natural stone for those parts that could not be properly executed in masonry. The villa Kraijenbrink in Bezuidenhout, like Berlage's villas Henny and Parkwijck, for example, also had interior walls of clean brickwork, the paneling of which had a different color (probably glazed).11 Even then, entering a competition was an opportunity for a budding architect to make a name for himself. The need for a well-equipped national soccer stadium prompted the founding of the "Maatschappij tot Exploitatie van het Nederlandsch Sportpark te Amsterdam. For the stadium, the Maatschappij held a competition in 1912 among Dutch architects and engineers. The ambitious program of requirements called for partly covered seating and standing room for a total of 30,000 spectators. A committee chaired by H.P. Berlage selected the design 'Barnardes', of which Elte turned out to be the creator, from 24 anonymous entries.12 Tummers questions the credibility of the anonymous competition, basing it solely on the fact that Elte worked at Berlage's office from 1899-1909.13 It is obvious, however, that the jury under Berlage's leadership simply chose the design that best fulfilled the program and was most in line with the prevailing architectural opinion. Perhaps the fact that Elte had also been inspired by his former superior and teacher was a factor. The important example for his design, however, was the stadium in Stockholm built for the 1912 Olympics by Swedish architect Torben Grut, which became widely known because for the first time a stadium was explicitly designed by an architect.14 Elte visited the building on a study trip. The U-shaped brick building with masonry arches in the facades has two heavy corner towers, giving it a representativeness not previously seen in stadiums. Elte's brick building even contained four monumental corner towers, at the transition from the higher to the lower stands, which housed stairs and housing for stadium staff. However, the whole made a more austere impression than the stadium in Stockholm. When the stadium opened in 1914, enthusiasm was great, and Elte's name as an architect was established.15 In 1912, several young artists, who opposed the existing associations with their dogmas, founded the Vereeniging van Beeldende Kunstenaars "the Independents. To hold jury-free exhibitions in spring and fall, they needed their own building. The first exhibition in May and June 1913 could already take place in the temporary building on Amstelveenseweg designed by Elte. A picture of this large, "for that time very modern building" has appeared on the catalogs ever since. Twelve exhibitions were organized here in the period 1913-1918, featuring work by Else Berg, Fré Cohen, Kees van Dongen, Leo van Gestel, Jacoba van Heemskerk, Vilmos Huszar, Kees Maks, Leo Pinkhof, Jan Sluijters and Charley Toorop, among others, as well as important art movements from abroad. Only a few architects were members; J.C. van Epen was from its inception. Exhibitions were "the attraction of the season. Cinema queues lined the doors to be admitted. Fierce was the struggle pro and con.' Always, "the Independents" were concerned to "create opportunity, that every artist may express himself completely freely. This is where Elte felt at home. From 1913 he was a member and also commissioner of the board of the Society. In 1915 he was chairman and was also involved in both exhibitions that year.16 Architectural firm of Elte and Mastenbroek Elte's fame and increasing number of commissions probably led to his collaboration with Gerard F. Mastenbroek around 1915. Mastenbroek, born in Amsterdam in 1886, was educated at the Industrieschool of the Maatschappij voor den Werkenden Stand and worked until 1913 as an architectural draughtsman in various offices.17 Both men were members of the Genootschap Architectura et Amicitia.18 In 1917, a brochure was published with photographs of work by Elte and Mastenbroek.19 Perhaps the booklet was mainly intended to promote the start of their joint architectural office, which from that year was located at the address Tulpstraat 11. Contrary to what the brochure's caption suggests, most of the 14 works photographed are Elte's design. Only the Mendels store and the Philip residence are registered in the names of both Elte and Mastenbroek. However, the latter was also involved in the construction of the stadium and the Central Israelite Hospital. Six more joint projects followed until 1920. A hefty quarrel - both men were rather temperamental - marked the end of their collaboration. Their architectural firm was liquidated in 1920, after attempts had been made shortly before to formalize the relationship between the two architects by setting up a partnership. The two partners were to receive an unequal share of the net profit: during the first five years 70% for Elte against 30% for Mastenbroek, and thereafter 60% and 40% respectively.20 It is possible that this was the reason for the separation; the causes must have been deeper. The construction of the Amsterdam cinema Cinema Royal was then supervised by Mastenbroek,21 who would subsequently build two more cinemas and various villas and factories.22 Afterwards, Elte did not enter into a partnership.23 His firm remained on Tulpstraat for about ten more years, then it was located on Schubertstraat. In the 1920s he had six employees, including a chef de bureau and a secretary.24 Jewish clients Many of Elte's private clients were Jews. Several Jewish institutions also asked him to be their architect. His earliest known work - even before he had established himself as an independent architect - is the construction of a chewresjoeltje (association synagogue) in the existing building Weesperplein 5 in Amsterdam (1904). As early as 1907 he was architect to the Portuguese Israelite Congregation and in 1912 also to the Nederlandsch Israelietisch Armbestuur. The Armbestuur commissioned him to build a nunnery next to the Nederlandsch Israëlietisch Ziekenhuis (1914). Almost at the same time, he designed a hospital with a sister house in the Plantage for the Portuguese community and - together with E.M. Rood25 - the building for the Central Israelite Hospital (C.I.Z.). With the construction of the 'Second Synagogue' in The Hague (1923) and the nursing home for the association 'De Joodsche Invalide' in Amsterdam (1923)26 - both in the style of the Amsterdam School - Elte probably acquired a good reputation in these circles and was therefore a good candidate in 1925 for the position of architect of the Nederlandsch-Israelietische Hoofdsynagoge (N.I.H.S.) in Amsterdam.27 Because of the relocation of a large part of the Jewish population from the center of Amsterdam to the new districts south and east, in the mid-1920s the N.I.H.S. was faced with an important building task; synagogues were to be erected in both new districts. The then architect of the N.I.H.S., 74-year-old Rood, was honorably discharged. Nominations for the position included the names of Jac. S. Baars, H. Elte and M. Oesterman.28 The Church Council of the N.I.H.S. appointed Elte, after a three-round vote. Especially for Baars this was somewhat sour, he initially received the most votes, but was thus eventually passed by Elte. This had already happened earlier when the commission for the new building for the association "De Joodsche Invalide" was awarded not to him - former board member and architect of the association's older building - but to his more experienced competitor Elte. Among other things, the new architect of the N.I.H.S. was entrusted with the design of the synagogue in the south, the one on Jacob Obrechtplein. This was followed by a major renovation and expansion of the Israelite Vleeschhal in Amsterdam, three metaheir houses (or funeral homes) and the construction and renovation of several synagogues in and outside Amsterdam. The client for the capital villa Honthorststraat 3 (1912) was R.C.A. Reens, director of the N.V. Nederlandsche Fabriek voor Betimmeringen v/h Gebr. Reens. This firm had supplied furniture for the diamond club 'Concordia' in 1911. The cooperation between Elte and Richard Reens grew into friendship and the result was that Elte and Mastenbroek built a furniture factory for Gebr. Reens in Amsterdam-north (1917) that would supply paneling, woodcarving and furniture for their various buildings.29 An example is the residential house Oosterpark 77-78 in Amsterdam (1921). Commissioned by Julius Barmat, two residential houses were joined behind a new plastered facade. The building is of particular importance in Elte's oeuvre because of the paneling, furniture and stained glass that are still largely intact on the main floor and in the stairwell. The furniture, including some fixed semi-circular sideboards, is attributable to Daniël van Dorp, who worked for Gebr. Reens.30 The skylight of the stairwell has stained glass and the salon has a conservatory-like extension, also with stained glass. From 1924 until the 1930s, Elte would work with the well-known studio Bogtman in Haarlem, among others, for various stained-glass applications, both in private homes, stores and synagogues.31 The well-known Jewish artist Leo Pinkhof was involved in the decoration of several buildings for the Jewish community.32 Atelier for Interior Architecture and Decorative Arts. At this time, the boundaries between architecture, furniture and interior art were barely drawn. Many renowned architects also considered furniture and decorative arts design to be their field of work. Elte's pursuit of unity between building and furnishing, moreover, stemmed from his carpentry training. Only a few furniture designs by him are known. In 1929 he designed furniture in Amsterdam School style for painter Kees Maks33 and in 1938 furniture for the house of the Gomperts-Frank family. His production must have been larger in this respect, since he registered his company for furniture and paneling with the Chamber of Commerce under the trade name "Atelier voor Binnenarchitectuur en orerkunst" (Studio for Interior Architecture and Decorative Arts) at the end of 1929.34 Since then, orders for stained glass to Bogtman also went through this company. Mention should also be made of the various lamps in Art Deco style. Highlights of his craftsmanship are the well-preserved lamps for the synagogues in Utrecht, Amsterdam and Den Helder, and in his own home. In 1941, Elte was forced by the occupying forces to leave the management of his business to an administrator, who liquidated the studio in 1944.35 Netherlands Institute of Architects In 1929, Harry Elte - along with his Amsterdam colleague F.A. Warners, among others - was involved in the founding of the Nederlandsch Instituut van Architecten. The NIVA, according to Het Bouwbedrijf, was intended as a union for all those practicing the architectural profession, a primarily business organization that was to provide some counterweight to the contractors who were already properly organized. An institute without a dominant ideology or architectural movement; similar in that sense to "the Independents. The NIVA arose from a club of 'dissatisfied people', particularly in relation to the Maatschappij tot Bevordering der Bouwkunst/Bond van Nederlandsche Architecten (BNA), the elite club that primarily wanted to be an artistic professional association of architects.36 Elte himself had already come into conflict with the BNA in 1913. The BNA board accused him of wanting to make a design for the Amsterdam Stadium free of charge in the knowledge that a colleague had already been commissioned to do so.37 A letter to the editor from the secretary of the 'Het Nederlandsche Sportpark' company cleared Elte of any blame,38 but the BNA did not deign to apologize publicly.39 At the first election in 1929, Elte became a member of the main board of the NIVA.40 He was to be very active in all sorts of positions, being appointed to the Propaganda Committee, becoming chairman of the Amsterdam Circle, later vice-chairman of the main board and a member of the jury of the NIVA competition in 1936. He also paid much attention to the question of the protection of the architect's title and, in connection with it, the training of architects. The NIVA even supplied a bill for this purpose, which - in contrast to the proposal of the BNA - adhered as much as possible to the existing situation. The first bill was ready in May 1940, which time did not facilitate its passage. Elte tirelessly gave his lecture in various circles, 'Doel, het streven en de beteekenis van het Nederlandsch Instituut van Architecten', which underlined the importance of the bona fide architect for both the architects and the client.41 Owner-builders and rogue architects were not given much of a break, as a result of which quite a few of the houses built in Amsterdam in the period 1920-1930 had serious defects after only a few years.42 The magazine Het Bouwbedrijf, which had existed for some years, became the mouthpiece of the NIVA and thus the counterpart of the Bouwkundig Weekblad.43 In 1934 Elte succeeded in becoming a member of a Beauty Committee as an NIVA architect.44 Admittedly in Soest and not in a large municipality, but it was a step toward recognizing members of the NIVA as equivalent to BNA architects. The NIVA was dissolved effective January 1, 1941. The decision was made by the general assembly, but people acted under pressure from the occupying forces. This was because the Germans wanted one organization of architects, a fusion of NIVA, BNA and NBBG,45 which would then be transformed into a professional group of architects of the Nederlandsche Kultuurkamer.46 At the end of that year, on behalf of the Reich Commissioner, the announcement was made that every architect, Jews excepted, had to join the Kultuurkamer.47 End As of May 1, 1941, moreover, Jews who practiced liberal professions were only allowed to serve Jews. Work from the early years of the war, however, is not known to us. Moreover, due to scarcity of materials, little could be built, and in July 1942 a building ban was declared for the entire country. From the summer of 1942, Jews were called up for "employment in Germany," soon followed by raids. Since September 10, 1942, Elte had been a prisoner in Westerbork, where he was given a position in the camp's building service.48 On February 25, 1944, he and 810 others were deported to Theresienstadt. In this so-called "model ghetto," where residence was considered a favor to Jews by the Germans, Harry Elte died of pneumonia on April 1, 1944.49 His second wife Lies Speijer was later murdered in Auschwitz. His first wife Sara van Beever and their son Philip survived the occupation. The exhibition "Rebel, my heart" in the Nieuwe Kerk on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the liberation honored the artists who lost their lives due to and as a result of occupation and resistance. Harry Elte was one of six architects whose work was on display with a modest impression.50 Synagogues Although a small part of his oeuvre in number, Elte's contribution to twentieth-century synagogue architecture in the Netherlands is impressive. Between 1904 and 1932, he was responsible for the construction or remodeling of twelve synagogues in the Netherlands. After World War I, the economy in the Netherlands underwent a general revival. A significant portion of the Jewish population benefited from the positive developments during that period. Part of the Jewish proletariat during this time was able to leave the old, dilapidated Jewish neighborhoods to settle in the new expansion districts. Beginning in the second half of the nineteenth century, a group of emancipated Jews gradually emerged who enjoyed relative affluence and had contacts outside their own religious community. Although much of social life took place within the Jewish circle, there was also growing participation in the socio-cultural life of the non-Jewish environment. Elte expressed this socioeconomic climate especially with his synagogues. The buildings are not avant-garde, but express the growing self-consciousness of the Jewish community. They exude an atmosphere of relative opulence. The design of the prayer rooms made use of fine materials that, through the interplay of light and dark and a special color scheme, attempt to express a certain spirituality. Two early works are the association shul at Weesperplein and at Nieuwe Kerkstraat in Amsterdam. No images of the first shul are known. The architecture and furnishings of the small synagogue on Nieuwe Kerkstraat show Elte's early style and have a strong connection to Berlage's work. In the symmetrical facade, both functions, synagogue and dwellings, are easily distinguishable. The main entrance in the middle has a semicircular arch and gave the men access to the prayer room through a portal. On either side are single doors, also with round arches, which gave access via stairs to the women's gallery and the four dwellings on the second and third floors. Above the main entrance at the site of the second floor gallery is a large segmental arched window divided into sixes, with two small segmental arched windows on either side. This series of narrow windows emphasize the special character of the building. This is reinforced by the fact that the facade overhangs here. Sills, window openings and corbels are made of hard and sandstone. The facade was originally crowned by a masonry balustrade with sandstone blocks bearing Stars of David on either side of the slightly projecting staircase bays. These ornaments were the only references in the architecture to the special Jewish function. Unfortunately, the balustrade was later removed and the facade received a simple straight cover; only a few starter blocks are still visible. Due to the absence of the balustrade, the facade with its austere residential floors now makes an unbalanced impression. Most of the building activity for the Jewish communities took place in the second half of the 1920s. During this period, Elte directed a trio of restorations and renovations and was responsible for the construction of six new synagogues. Three buildings of great importance in Elte's oeuvre deserve attention here. The Hague, Utrecht and Amsterdam In 1923, The Hague needed a new synagogue in the old Jewish quarter. However, since it was expected that in time the synagogue would become superfluous as people moved to new neighborhoods, it was decided to build the new shul as part of an administration building close to the Great Synagogue on Wagenstraat. Because of this temporary nature, it was decided not to express the character of a synagogue in the façade.51 A building committee prepared the choice of architects. Based on this, the Church Council decided to award the commission to Elte in 1923 because of "very favorable information" and because he dared to confirm that the contract price of the building would not be exceeded by a certain percentage. The Hague architect Lodewijk Simons, who usually worked for the Jewish community, did not want to give this guarantee and was therefore passed over.52 Because of light, Elte projected the shul space at the rear on the second floor with 230 men's seats and a gallery along three sides on the second floor with 120 women's seats. The prayer room was "across," that is, with the aron (the cabinet for the law scrolls) in the middle against one of the long walls. The building had decorative elements in the shape of a triangle in several places. In the rear facade was a triangular window, under a rather steep roof structure, through which the synagogue room was illuminated. Opposite it was the austere but impressively designed aron: the actual rectangular cabinet was contained within a large triangle of dark stained oak placed against a wall covered with dark marble. In the facade, built in Amsterdam School style, a third triangle was installed above the main entrance. A lantern hung in front of it. On the street side were located the administrative rooms and the meeting room of the church council. The horizontally coupled windows, the curves in the masonry and the tower-like structure on the right side are typical of the Amsterdam School. The synagogue on the Springweg in Utrecht was consecrated in 1926. The building was erected on the site of a former church, whose façade was set back from the roo line. Thus, a small forecourt or forecourt was maintained. The prayer hall has a gabled roof and round-arched windows with stained glass, and is flanked on the right between synagogue and ancillary rooms by a square tower. The entrance is formed by a heavy neo-classical portico. This concrete pediment on four columns dominates the brick façade and appears strange. Compared to the synagogue on Jacob Obrechtplein, where the entrance is fully integrated into the architecture, this facade seems the product of a compromise. The architect was not entirely free, but had to take into account the expressed wishes of the Church Council, which preferred a less modern design. "53 The synagogue is not entirely regular in shape due to the use of walls from the previous building. In the rather narrow space, the aron is very decisive for the direction of vision. The rectangular cabinet, which, as in The Hague, is quite tight in shape, is placed against a high black marble wall framed by black and gold glass mosaic. Above it are three stained glass windows by Bogtman. The whole emphasizes the rising lines. The down tamied (eternal burning light) hung above the aron. In the center was a large, oak bima (the podium from which one reads the Torah). The galleries, which extend quite far forward, are supported by octagonal columns. The galleries can accommodate 150 women, and the lower room can accommodate 230 men. Beautifully designed are the central lamp and smaller lamps above the women's galleries. Diffused light enters through stained glass skylights - with abstract Stijl motifs. Elte chose an unusual color scheme: the floor had a dark gray-purple color, the bima and stage of the aron had a deep purple carpet and the walkways a plain green carpet. Above the oak paneling, the stucco had a very soft shade of lilac. "The architect did everything possible to create a consecration-filled atmosphere. Shortly after Elte was appointed architect of the N.I.H.S., he led limited renovations of the synagogues on Uilenburg and in Amersfoort (1926). He had both buildings fitted with stained glass windows, which are still present in Amersfoort. This was followed in Amsterdam by the construction of the mortuary or metaheir house of the Nederlandsch Israelietisch Ziekenhuis (Dutch Israelite Hospital) in Nieuwe Kerkstraat (1926), which shows a great stylistic affinity with the synagogue on Jacob Obrechtplein. This synagogue became his most important and well-known religious building. When construction resumed in the new expansion districts around the still largely 19th century city after World War I, many Jews moved from the old Jewish quarter to Amsterdam south and east. This exodus was further stimulated by the much-needed redevelopment of the Jewish quarter in the 1920s. Initially, the new neighborhoods were content with small houses of worship established by private associations. An example of such an association synagogue or chewreshul is the synagogue on Waalstraat in Amsterdam (1925), which Elte designed on the first floor of a residential block. The space was originally intended to be set up as a car garage, and thus, like its limited resources, placed restrictions on its design. Nevertheless, Elte was able to furnish here "a beautiful and attractive (prayer) room," which made a special impression through the bold use of color - flaming red pews, bright green carpeting and soft-lilac tones of the lectern and aron. Due to the steady growth of the Jewish population in South and East, the N.I.H.S. took the decision in 1925 to establish official community synagogues here. So the design for the larger of the two, the synagogue in south, was commissioned from Elte. For the synagogue in east the commission was given to Jac. S. Baars, who had succeeded Elte as structural engineer in the service of the Nederlandsch Israelietisch Armbestuur. It is interesting to compare the two buildings. Baars' synagogue on Linnaeusstraat in Amsterdam-east provided54 space for 334 men and 114 women. The complex also contained a community building, an ulterior synagogue and a mikveh (bathhouse). The synagogue was a diagonally oriented space with a very remarkable shape. The complex was built on a site of only about 500 m2. The architecture was in the style of the Amsterdam School, which, because of all the expressionist details - window sections, ornamental brickwork and the tower with unusual crowning - looks somewhat old-fashioned compared to the tighter Amsterdam School style of, for example, Eltes synagogue in The Hague. The Schoonheidscommissie initially had a great deal of difficulty with Baars' design. They felt the building was too large for the limited site and the exuberant architectural style did not immediately meet with the committee's approval, but after the plan was modified, they acquiesced in the architecture.55 Synagogue Jacob Obrechtplein in Amsterdam (1927) Elte's south synagogue has space for 340 men and 232 women. His building is also on a corner, but the available area is about 800 m2. Elte clearly drew inspiration from foreign influences here for the first time. The striking location, on the corner of Jacob Obrechtplein and Heinzestraat, gave the architect every opportunity to shape the synagogue's special character. The large cubic building masses dominate the square. Elongated vertical windows in the side facades of the synagogue space, above the main entrance and in the tower, and horizontal, cantilevered eaves and canopies intersect the brick volumes. Despite some carving, including at the window area just below the eaves, the facades make a severe and austere impression. The tree that formerly stood at the corner of the property was a welcome opportunity to create a forecourt here as well, through which the men reach the vestibule by a staircase. That staircase to the main entrance enhances the monumentality; the canopy simultaneously makes an inviting gesture. The design is strongly influenced by the work of the American architect Frank Lloyd Wright (1867-1959), who became widely known in the Netherlands through publication of his designs in several issues of the magazine Wendingen in 1921, 1925 and 1926 and through lectures by H.P. Berlage. For his synagogue, Elte seems to have been inspired primarily by one of Wright's best-known works: Unity Temple in Oak Park (Illinois) of 1908, a cubist building with unusual coloring and daylighting. Strikingly, Elte applies Wright's principle in his synagogue that the main space in the building should also be clearly distinguished on the outside by staggered roofs and facades. Furthermore, the perpendicular building masses, the tight lines of the wall surfaces and the horizontal and vertical window strips speak strongly. Sloping roof planes (still dominant in Elte's synagogue in Utrecht) have largely disappeared; only in the area of the adjacent buildings does Elte create a roof in order to achieve a good connection. But that, too, fits Wright's principles: a building must be in harmony with its surroundings. The synagogue and the Jerusalem Church in Amsterdam (1929) built shortly afterwards by F.B. Jantzen56 show a striking similarity. These are just a few examples of the significant influence of Wright's expressionism. Through the vestibule of the "Obrecht Shul," which is clad in marble and contains a particularly beautiful fountain of light blue glazed earthenware, one enters the synagogue space. Impressive is the festive Art Deco interior with beautiful materials and warm colors. On the east side is the aron or holy arke set up. It is built in a parabolic niche with a back wall covered in black marble, along which stained glass strips scatter a multicolored light over the aron. The parabolic arch is an emphatic exception in this cubist setting. 'Surprising had to be the play of the beams of light cast by the glass on the black marble of the hechal (aron). Many times the light beams had to reflect back with heavenly brilliance irradiating the Holy Ark with its precious contents.'57 Opposite the aron is the bima. This stands almost in the center of the space, slightly behind the intersection of the two axes. As in The Hague, the synagogue is built "across," with the bima and aron facing each other on the short axis. While this arrangement is not exceptional in a synagogue, it was not pursued in the past. Where the building location allowed, the arrangement was usually made across the longitudinal axis. The building location of the "Obrecht shul" is almost square. So placing the synagogue 'across' was not a necessity for that reason. The advantage of an arrangement across the width axis is that this way, especially in larger synagogues, more people have a better view of the two most important places of action within the liturgy. The cantor usually faces the aron and thus has his back to the audience seated opposite. The women's galleries did face the aron in connection with good light. The arrangement of the seating for the men thus seems to stem from the need, on the one hand, to keep the traditional arrangement of the synagogue intact and, on the other, to involve as many people as possible in the service. So here is a search for a balance between preservation of the old and innovation in liturgical principles in which decorum plays an important role. Already from its completion, the building has attracted attention. Especially in the publications of architecture critic Max Eisler in the Viennese Jewish magazine Menorah in 1929 and 1930, Elte's architecture is compared to other recently built synagogues in Germany and Austria. Eisler praises Elte's building for its happy balance between preservation and tradition and finding a modern form of construction. Much less does the rationalist critic appreciate the mystical atmosphere that the architect, through the use of materials, colors and light, creates in the building.58 As architect of the N.I.H.S., Elte also participated in the construction of a number of smaller buildings with a Jewish purpose. The metaheir house in Amsterdam has already been mentioned. The synagogue in Den Helder followed in 1928, and in 1931 and 1933 the metaheir houses at the Jewish cemeteries in Diemen and Muiderberg. New in Elte's architecture is the use of large round-arch windows in the reception building in Muiderberg, which we also see in some of his villas of the period. In 1934, a competition was held among Jewish architects to design a synagogue on Lekstraat in Amsterdam-Zuid. Nine entries were received. The jury, two members of the board of the N.I.H.S. and the architects G. Friedhoff, D. Greiner and A.J. van der Steur (who cannot exactly be considered part of the New Business movement), quite remarkably chose the functionalist design by Abraham Elzas (1907-1995), which was built in 1936-1937.59 Five designs seem to have been more or less inspired by "international expressionism" as well as by the Jacob Obrecht synagogue! One of them is therefore by Harry Elte; on stylistic grounds we assume that he submitted his design under "Signed Motto".60 One of the other participants is presumably Jacob Baars. Not long after, he and Jonas Hegt designed the synagogue on the 2e De Carpentierstraat in The Hague, which was consecrated in 1938.61 This design bore more affinity to the Jacob Obrecht synagogue than to Baars' own synagogue on the Linnaeusstraat in Amsterdam. This, incidentally, applies more to the original design than to the building ultimately realized, probably as a result of budget cuts, more austere and sober. Not only the exterior, but also interior details such as the lamps are reminiscent of Harry Elte's meticulous design. As a designer of synagogues, Elte had thus made school. Not a Jewish architectural style At the turn of the century, Elte's predecessors, Baars and Alsace had still tried to develop their own architectural style for Jewish religious buildings. In the 19th century, several synagogues - often with the help of non-Jewish architects - had been built in the neo-styles then prevailing. There were hardly any Jewish features apart from sparsely applied david stars and law tables on the exterior and the aron and bima as the two defining elements in the interior. Neo-Gothic was in vogue for Catholic church architecture, neo-Renaissance - albeit to a somewhat lesser extent - for Protestant church construction. Increasing prosperity and emancipation created the need for a representative and more distinctive, that is, "Jewish" architectural style. In Germany and Central Europe, since the mid-19th century, the 'oriental' architectural style was considered by both Jews themselves and others to be typically Jewish architecture. This architectural style, in fact an amalgam of oriental and mudejar architecture, referred to an exotic "East. Judaism was seen as an essentially oriental religion. Only quite late, starting in 1873, were examples of this typical synagogue architecture realized in the Netherlands. The most important 'oriental' synagogues are those in Tilburg (architect E. Freman, 1873), Deventer (J.A. Mulock Houwer, 1892), Groningen (Tj. Kuipers, 1906), Nijmegen (O. Leeuw, 1913) and Enschede (K.P.C. de Bazel, design 1918). These, otherwise very different, buildings display various oriental motifs and details: minaret-like turrets, horseshoe-shaped arches, domes and the like. In most cases, attempts to give the Jewish house of worship its own character were limited to detailing or decoration. De Bazel went further, moving away from a floor plan consistent with church buildings and designing the synagogue in Enschede as a square space with a large twelve-sided dome flanked by ancillary rooms crowned with smaller domes.62 After De Bazel, whose synagogue was not built until after his death in 1927-28, although there would be a freer approach to the floor plan, there would be no further attempts to achieve a specifically Jewish architectural style. The number of Jewish architects in the Netherlands had not risen to a level proportional to the proportion of Jews in the total population until the 20th century. During the 19th century, therefore, most Jewish religious buildings were designed by local non-Jewish architects. The Jewish architects of Elte's generation chose a variety of architectural styles for their synagogues. In Amsterdam, in a short period of over ten years, as mentioned above, we see a succession of increasingly modern and international architectural styles at the most important Dutch synagogues shortly before the war: from the expressionism of the Amsterdam School (Baars) and international or cubist expressionism (Elte) to functionalism or business expressionism (Alsace). Thus, to the question '... whether a Jewish architecture or even a Jewish architectural style generally existed or was possible,' Elte replied in an interview in 1925 very firmly '... this [is] completely out of the question. Architecture is too much designed to the material, space and form.'63 He did, however, create a special, spiritual atmosphere in his synagogues through special design and light penetration, and a rich use of materials and colors. Housing complexes and villas Especially interesting, because they occupy an important place in Elte's oeuvre and give a good picture of what was being designed by a large group of architects in his time, are his residential houses in Amsterdam Oud-Zuid, his project development activities in and outside the city, and his housing complexes and villas in Berlage's Plan Zuid. Around 1900, the area between the Rijksmuseum, the Concertgebouw and the Vondelpark was a place where wealthy people settled. Already in Van Niftrik's first plan (1866), the area, where the Rijksmuseum was to be built, was designated a "luxury quarter. The planning and construction would take several years. Shortly after the first villa construction, a beauty committee was established in 1898 that would guide the building process very critically. The result was a varied residential district with villas and contiguous buildings, of both construction-technical and architectural high quality, which gives a good impression of architecture at the beginning of this century.64 The buildings south of the De Lairessestraat were largely built after the First World War. In the contiguous façade wall of Johannes Vermeerstraat, Elte designed three properties side by side in 1911, forming a single unit. Each building was intended for two families: the "house-over-house type," which displaced the single-family house in the city as a home for the more affluent middle class.65 Because of the symmetrical design of the whole, the middle building has a wider gable than the others with four windows instead of two. Otherwise, they are almost identical to each other, only mirrored. In these houses, the influence of his teacher Berlage is clearly visible. The brick facades are capped by natural stone bands and he also used that material for the lintels, the sills, the starting blocks on the window frames and the stepped brackets. Each building has a bay window on the second floor with a balcony on the floor above. Only the front has a pitched roof with dormers. On the other side of Museumplein, at the corner of Honthorststraat and Jan Luijkenstraat, Elte made the plan for the villa Reens (1912). Here, too, he followed in the footsteps of Berlage. He designed an - in comparison with the surrounding buildings sober on the outside - almost square two-story brick building with a compound hipped roof and a remarkable "lantern" as its crown. The lantern is more substantial than indicated on the building permit drawing. Perhaps this was done on the advice of the Beauty Commission. It improved the proportions in relation to the large roof. On the front above the semicircular entrance is a loggia with brick motifs in the parapet. Grouped around the spacious hall with fireplace are the vestibule, staircase and main rooms. This combination of hall, reception room and living quarters had been adopted from the English Country House style. The 'hall' occupied a central place in English country houses.66 Despite the considerable differences in formal language, the eleven villas in this block between Paulus Potterstraat and Jan Luijkenstraat harmonize well with one another; together they provide a fascinating picture of the styles in which luxury housing was manifested at the time. At the corner of Cornelis Schuytstraat and Viottastraat, Elte and his then associate Gerard Mastenbroek designed a villa for S.R. Klatte (1918). The building has one floor and an attic and is executed in light brick. The different roofs are covered with dark blue tiles. The facades of the villa each have a different appearance. Because of the varied building volume, the different roof surfaces, the chimneys and dormers, the arches with brick decorations in the gables, the detailing of the windows, the shutters and the awning over the main entrance, this villa makes a much less robust and rather more traditional impression than the villa Reens. Against the east facade was originally a veranda. Unfortunately, little of the interior has remained in its original state. The original layout no longer exists. This capital villa also had a central "living hall" with sitting area and fireplace. Project development in Amsterdam and the Gooi region At the end of World War I, there was a severe shortage of building materials, so private construction came to a virtual standstill. Thanks to government contributions, however, social housing construction could continue. After the 1918 elections, the new conservative cabinet sought to support private construction as well. At the end of 1920, this resulted in an act under which premiums and favorable mortgage loans could be made available to private builders for the construction of middle-class housing. This support, the maximum contribution in the beginning was f 2,500 per house, meant a powerful incentive for so-called "owner-builders. As early as the 1920s, Elte had been engaged in project development on a small scale. In Amsterdam, he built several residential houses on Sophialaan at his own expense and risk. In the Gooi, Elte was employed by a specially founded construction company, and in Plan Zuid he was a principal of two N.V.'s as a director. The building Sophialaan 2-6 (1920), which the architect built on his own property, is referred to in the building permit as a "three-family villa. The completely symmetrical complex has a fairly high roof with sharply overhanging eaves. The windows and dormers form strongly expressive horizontal elements. The large chimneys against the side walls form some counterbalance. Each house has a spacious hall and a conservatory. The corner houses have a rather popular "fireplace corner" in the living room at the time: a built-in fireplace with seats on either side in a spacious alcove. The centerpiece of domestic coziness, which like the 'hall', was the result of English influence.67 The architectural development is striking if we compare this villa with the houses built ten years earlier on Johannes Vermeer Street. The houses clearly show the influence of Berlage, while the villa on Sophialaan was built in the rather austere brick architecture of the late Amsterdam School. In 1920, Elte, together with H. Hertzberger, R.C.A. Reens and G.F. Mastenbroek, bought land in the Gooi from the N.V. Bouwmaatschappij Blaricum-Bussum in order to sell it within five years, either in its entirety or in parts (possibly built on) at a profit.68 Not long afterwards, however, the land was sold again to the Bouwmaatschappij, which was to be the commissioning party for a villa park on the Huizerhoogt in the municipalities of Blaricum and Huizen. Only Elte, who was also secretary of the Board of Directors of the N.V., is recorded as the designer of the complex of summer houses. The granting of the permits was a laborious affair. The land transactions (speculation?) of Elte and associates apparently bothered B&W of Blaricum.69 The board found '... that in this municipality there is no need for houses like the ones to be built by Mr. Elte. These houses will only be occupied by people from elsewhere'. Partly due to problems with the drainage of the site, ambiguities in the plans of the N.V. Gooische Stoomtram and the bankruptcy of the construction company, only part of the plan, 41 instead of the planned 90 houses, could be realized. The summer cottages, originally no deeper than 6 m with one floor and a loft in the high roof, are of various types: detached, two or three under one roof or terraced. The brick facades are partly with potted wooden parts and in the roofs there are several dormers and chimneys in the ridge. The windows have barred windows and the doors are semicircular, sometimes with brick round arches. The roofs are alternately thatched or tiled. The complex is a typical example of a villa park from the 1920s.70 Almost all of the cottages were eventually permanently occupied, which often resulted in modification and expansion. Amsterdam-South The Berlage Plan also gave Elte a lot of work from the late 1920s to the mid-1930s, most of it commissioned by - again, mostly Jewish - private individuals. Here, too, the building boom was stimulated by the premium scheme for private builders. A separate Beauty Commission was appointed for Plan Zuid in 1926. The buildings were divided into classes. Elte designed both single and double villas and contiguous mansions (first class) and so-called middle-class houses in closed building blocks (second class). Some of these blocks were commissioned by specially founded joint-stock companies, with Elte serving as director on several occasions.71 The third class was formed by corporation construction. Elte did not build in the social sector, unlike, for example, his teacher Berlage and his contemporary M. ('Sam') de Klerk. In his most productive period, when he worked on the "Obrecht Shul," among other projects, Elte designed his own house, Stadionweg 44 (1928). He placed the building in a continuous façade wall. Yet the building stands out, thanks to its warm red brick, striking bay window and striking chimney. Moreover, unlike the houses next door, the house has no sloping roof. Professor J.G. Wattjes commented on this in Het Bouwbedrijf: "One difficulty was the connection of this flat architecture to both adjacent buildings with high tiled roofs. However, this connection has been excellently solved by the substantial chimney on the left side and by the wall pillar on the right.'72 Elte designed fourteen residential houses (1927-1930) on Stadionweg and in R. Wagnerstraat, Diepenbrockstraat and Schubertstraat. The single and double villas fit entirely within the guidelines of the Commission for Building in Plan-Zuid: varied brick facades with interlocking tile roofs. Conservatories, bay windows, balconies, dormers and canopies have been added on various sides. The windows vary in size and shape. The prominent chimneys provide distinct accents on the rather steep roofs. The variation in building volumes contributes to the "expressionism" of the austere Amsterdam School style. The spacious residential houses have on the first floor a spacious hall, living and dining room 'en-suite', conservatory, kitchen and serving kitchen. The houses in Schubert Street (1929) are four almost identical single-family houses in a closed wall. On the first floor at the front bay windows, at the rear conservatories. One floor topped with a fairly steep roof that extends over all the buildings. The entrance doors have stained glass, as did originally the skylights of the bay windows. The windows on the first floor and in the dormers have rod divisions. The U-shaped building block on Stadionkade, Holbeinstraat and Rubensstraat (1931), is Elte's only large housing complex. The variation in height is remarkable. The long facade on Stadionkade has four floors with a roof. The short side on Rubensstraat three with a hood. The building mass in Holbeinstraat decreases via two storeys with roof to one storey with roof at the corner of Velazquezstraat. However, the complex is clearly conceived as a whole. The design is rather sober and rather traditional: brick, wooden window frames, bay windows on the upper floors, high tiled roofs and stained glass in the stairwell windows. This building project again shows the great influence of the beauty commission. The building mass on Rubens Street was initially lower but was raised by one floor on the recommendation of the Commission. The facade stone and pointing, the roofing and the color of the paintwork had to be submitted to the Commission for approval. Thus on Stadionkade, just as in Schubertstraat and in the villa-area of Plan Zuid, a building came into being which, through its building mass, proportions and the materials used, fitted entirely within the (urban) architectural preconditions. and actually hardly distinguished itself from the surrounding - late Amsterdam School - buildings. Only Elte's own house breaks through the unity in architecture somewhat by a rather bold and more individual design. The preference of the Beauty Commission was the reason why the architecture of the Amsterdam School continued to dominate throughout the Ring '20-'40. Only around 1930 did municipal departments begin to concern themselves with the New Objectivity; notes and reports appeared. Van Eesteren's 1934 "General Expansion Plan of Amsterdam" gave the "new building" an enormous boost. Elte, who made no designs in the expansion areas, would remain true to the sober Amsterdam School style with his residential houses. Architectural development Three major architectural movements influenced Harry Elte's architectural style. During his thirty-plus years of building practice, these were Berlage's School 1900-1925, the Amsterdam School 1910-1930 and International Expressionism 1920-1930. Berlage's views on honest use of materials and sober ornamentation had a major influence on architecture from the beginning of this century. His austere, somewhat monumental brick style with ornamentation following logically from the construction can be found in early work by his pupil and former collaborator: the villa Reens (1912), the office and store building fa. Lewenstein (1912) and the Portugeesch-Israelite Hospital (1915) in Amsterdam. A notable incident in Elte's early work is his design for the Keezer storefront in Amsterdam (1910) in historicizing style, perhaps at the express request of the client. In these years there was a brief revival of neo-classicism, as a reaction to the modernism of Berlage and others. It was inspired by the Dutch classicism of the 17th century; especially office buildings, department stores and country houses were built in this style.73 The early period of the Amsterdam School, still during the heyday of Berlage and De Bazel, featured exuberant ornamentation. After the death of one of the main foremen, M. de Klerk in 1923, a strong tightening occurred quite suddenly. Berlage and his followers joined this austere architectural style. The urban expansions in Amsterdam-West, South and East are good examples of this. The plastic-organic design of the Amsterdam School did not appeal to Elte, but the later austere style did. Notable works by Elte from this period are: the synagogue in The Hague (1923), the building for 'De Joodsche Invalide' (1923) and the Israelite Meat Hall (1927) in Amsterdam. The 1920s also saw an increased interest in developments abroad. Frank Lloyd Wright's expressionism made a great impression on Berlage and Dudok, among others. The plasticity of, for example, his prairie houses and 'Unity Temple' found demonstrable imitation from architects such as W.M. Dudok, J. de Bie Leuveling Tjeenk and F.B. Jantzen.74 Striking buildings by Elte in this vein are: the synagogues in Amsterdam (1927) and Den Helder (1928) and his three metaheir houses. They are still somewhat related to the Amsterdam School, but the brick architecture is elaborated in a much more cubist manner. The various villas and houses he built after this in Berlage's Plan Zuid were designed in a late and austere style that could hardly be called Amsterdam School. Strict requirements for the building regulations led to a unity in the architecture, which also suited the taste of the clients/buyers who could afford a villa here: brick single or double villas with strongly expressive tile roofs. Elte's oeuvre thus developed with the fashion of the time, i.e. the taste of the well-to-do, without wild outliers or daring experiments. In his own house, compared to other residential houses, his architecture is still the most pronounced. His work in each period exudes a certain solidity and richness (masonry, paneling, stained glass). For example, for two fashionable stores he chose a somewhat more luxurious architectural style, art deco, which probably responded well to the clients' demand. These were renovations with eye-catching storefronts for the firm of Mendels (1915, later completely remodeled) and jeweler Spyer (1929, still intact). The interior of the synagogue on Jacob Obrechtplein, which was established during a period of expansion and prosperity of the Jewish community, was also given a very rich Art Deco interior. Elte's later architecture is similar to that of his Amsterdam colleagues J. Roodenburgh, G.J. Rutgers and F.A. Warners, a solid architecture still in the tradition of Berlage and influenced by the Amsterdam School and also somewhat by the international movement led by F.L. Wright. They cannot be seen as exponents of any particular architectural style or movement. Nor was Elte directly intent on doing so. An independent stance that, despite sometimes feeling isolated, suited him commercially. At least this is evident from a 1925 interview: "He experiences much opposition and does not know why. He stands alone, outside any circle, group or côterie. Perhaps that is the only reason. But the commissions are multiplying. And after all, this is the main thing for him. "75 The many commissions continued until around 1930. The economic crisis then virtually crippled the construction market and unemployment in the construction industry rose to unprecedented levels. After the early 1930s, Elte designed few new buildings as a result. Tragically, some remarkable buildings have since been demolished. The Stadium (1912) did not meet the requirements of the 1928 Olympics. Not Elte, but Jan Wils, one of the then most prominent architects, made a rebuilding plan, which, however, was not carried out. An entirely new stadium was built. Elte's structure was still allowed to serve as a practice stadium for the Games, after which it was demolished in 1929. The building for diamond club 'Concordia' (1910), which with its domed crown on the corner of Weesperplein was a fine counterpart to G. van Arkel's Diamond Exchange, was demolished as early as 1934 for the expansion of 'De Joodsche Invalide'. This commission, too, was not carried out by Elte. Architect J.F. Staal was asked to remodel and greatly expand Elte's building. 'De Joodsche Invalide' would grow into one of the largest and best-known institutions of Amsterdam's Jews. The club and barge house for 'Poseidon' (1909) did not stand the test of time. The synagogue in Den Helder (1928) was demolished in 1944 by order of the occupying forces for the Atlantic Wall. Fortunately, the monumental lamp from this shul was preserved and currently hangs in the Jewish Historical Museum in Amsterdam. The semi-detached villa Kraijenbrink in The Hague (1911) was destroyed by the 1945 bombing of Bezuidenhout. The Israelite Vleeschhal in Amsterdam (1927) was demolished around 1961. The building of the C.I.Z. (1914) was demolished in 1980 after conversion for the benefit of the Jellinekkliniek was rejected. The synagogue in The Hague (1923) became vacant and was demolished in 1981. In 1994, demolition of the Obrecht synagogue was even mooted because the complex no longer met contemporary requirements for financially and economically viable operation and because of its location, as a result of which Shabbat attendance was low. Placement on the National Monument List fortunately provided protection and the necessary subsidy, so that a thorough restoration of Elte's masterpiece could take place in 1997. A valuable oeuvre Harry Elte's oeuvre has so far received little attention. The circumstance that Elte is difficult to place within a particular architectural movement and the fact that some characteristic buildings no longer exist probably resulted in little interest from architectural critics and historians. Only the "Obrecht Shul" has received wide attention in literature and the press. The building has found international recognition from the beginning and is not missing from any major publication on synagogue architecture. However, it is not an incident but should be considered in conjunction with the other buildings Elte designed for Jewish communities. In recent years, there has been a tendency to pay attention to the work of lesser-known architects, who nevertheless largely defined the cityscape. The work of Harry Elte is certainly worthy of such attention. Afterword It is not easy to compile an inventory of the work of Harry Elte76 . We assume that his archive was lost during the occupation years. Former collaborators are no longer alive to our knowledge77 and not much has survived in his family either. During his lifetime, one independent publication appeared, the aforementioned brochure from 1917.78 It contains only an overview in photographs of 14 works by Elte (and Mastenbroek) from the period 1905-1915. The 193179 magazine Het Bouwbedrijf then gave a brief listing of 25 works by Elte from the years 1910-1929. It is not until 1978 that G. Fanelli80 pays attention to Elte's oeuvre, listing 17 works. He lists Elte among the architects who, although inspired by the Amsterdam School, are considered part of the Hague School due to their cubist brick architecture. The oeuvre list, which contains 95 works, more than half of which are still extant, is based on literature research - in addition to the most important building magazines and architectural publications, many Jewish periodicals and books were perused - and research in the municipal archives of Amsterdam and The Hague - more specifically in the BWT archives of Amsterdam and The Hague, the archives of Public Works, of the Portuguese-Israelite Municipality and of the Nederlandsch-Israelietische Hoofdsynagoge in Amsterdam - , in the Bibliotheca Rosenthaliana in Amsterdam and in the company archives of W. Bogtman in Haarlem.81 In addition, many buildings were visited. Sketches or preliminary studies of buildings, executed or not, have been lost. The oeuvre described here is thus largely built. At least 88 of the 95 works were executed. Only two executed interior and furniture designs are known. The years 1925-1930 were peak years for Harry Elte in terms of building production, from 1935 onwards after the collapse of the Amsterdam construction market little work by him is known. It is possible that he still supervised maintenance and/or renovation work for both Jewish communities in Amsterdam or even in the mediene, but such work is difficult to trace. Much time probably required his commitment to the NIVA and his studio for interior design. However, it is virtually impossible to trace his furniture designs. Notes 1 This introduction is an adaptation of our article in Jaarboek Amstelodamum 1998, p. 159-195. 2 After the death of his parents he had his name Hartog officially changed to Harry; order of Arrondissementsrechtbank Amsterdam 14-6-1921, entered in birth certificate 5-9-1921. 3 M. Danvers (= M. Gaarkeuken), ''The Joodsche Invalide' Interviews and Impressions', in: De Vrijdagavond 2(1925/26)37, 11-12-1925, p. 168 'Harry Elte tells'. 4 'In Memoriam Philip Elte', in: Nieuw Israelietisch Weekblad 16-8-1918; I. Lipschits, One Hundred Years of N.I.W. Het Nieuw Israelietisch Weekblad 1865-1965, Amsterdam 1966, passim; M.H. Gans, Memorboek, Record Atlas of the Life of the Jews in the Netherlands from the Middle Ages to 1940, Baarn 1971, p. 360 and 562. 5 'Harry Elte Phzn', in: De Joodsche Prins 1(1912/13), 1-8-1912, article following the first prize for his design for the stadium; his portrait was featured on the front cover. 6 'Harry Elte Ph.zn. Architect N.I.V.A.', in: Het Bouwbedrijf 8(1931)3, p. 40. 7 At Van Arkel he was with thirteen fellow students. Danvers, ''The Jewish Invalide' ...'', p. 169. 8 Elte drew the facade of the Amsterdamsch Wisselkantoor (1901), the stairwell and chimney of Villa Parkwijck (1901) in Amsterdam and the facade of the building De Algemeene in Leipzig (1902); in NAI collection and published in De Architect XIII (1902), fig. 439, XIV (1903), fig. 494 and XVI (1905), fig. 561. 9 Danvers, ''The Jewish Invalide' ...'', p. 169. Elte said he had worked in a cannery in Germany in order to learn about furnishings and construction that way. He designed cannery N.V. 'Puralimento' in 1910. 10 Communication from Mrs. C.H. Elte-van Beever. 11 In 1905 he had already provided the building Jodenbreestraat 48 with a new brick façade in contemporary non-historicizing style. 12 Bouwkundig Weekblad 32(1912)31, 3-8-1912, p. 377: jury report. The competition had exceeded expectations. The jury had had to "set aside several fine plans that did not meet the provisions of the program. In judging, emphasis was placed on the solution of "the traffic problem," by which was meant the proper circulation of spectators, and the cost, i.e., no exceeding of the budget. The plans "Banardes" and "The Zeitgeist" scored best. 13 T. Tummers, Architects on the sidelines. Stadiums and grandstands in the Netherlands, Amsterdam 1993, pp. 28-32. 14 Judging by the motto 'Stockholm' of one of the other entries, its designer must also have been inspired by the Swedish example. 15 Danvers, ''The Joodsche Invalide' ...'', p. 169. 16 The grounds on the Amstelveenseweg were transferred by the City Council to the Vereeniging for a five-year lease in 1913. In 1919 the first exhibition took place in the Stedelijk Museum. Catalogs in archive of 'De Onafhankelijken' at the Rijksbureau voor Kunsthistorische Documentatie, The Hague. 17 Data from the late Dr. G.G.A. Mastenbroek at Blaricum. 18 J. Schilt and J. van der Werf, Genootschap Architectura et Amicitia 1855-1990, Rotterdam 1992, p. 212 and 215. 19 Harry Elte Phzn & Gerard F. Mastenbroek Architects Amsterdam. Reproductions of Architectures, A. Oestreicher & Co, Amsterdam 1917. For three buildings, the firm of G.F. Lutter and H.B. Lotgering in Amsterdam is listed as the contractor, which may thus have helped make this publication possible. 20 The partnership was to be entered into for 10 years, beginning January 1, 1920; the deed was not passed. The proposal to liquidate the agency was dated July 10, 1920. (Papers in possession of the late Dr. G.G.A. Mastenbroek.) 21 The design will still have been done in collaboration, for in 1920 it was expressly stipulated that the work would be in both their names. See also: M. Kempen, 'Tuschinski and Royal in the 1920s. The competition between two movie theaters', in: Ons Amsterdam 48(1996), p. 53. 22 De Volkskrant 23-2-1946: 'The Amsterdam architect Gerard F. Mastenbroek hopes to commemorate his 60th birthday on Friday, 1 Mar. next. His principal buildings are Cinema Royal, Scala, Corso, numerous villas in Amsterdam, 't Gooi and in Belgium.' 23 Elte does make a proposal in 1921 together with J.M. van der Mey to build on the Kleine-Gartmanplantsoen (proposal in archive Publ. Werken, Amsterdam). However, this collaboration seems to have been incidental and not followed up. Elte does not appear in the monograph H. Boterenbrood and J. Prang, Van der Mey en het Scheepvaarthuis, The Hague 1989. Since 1920, Cornelis (Kees) van der Wilk (1895-1976) has been his close associate. There was no association because Van der Wilk would not have wanted it. He joined Public Works in Amsterdam in 1929. (Communication from his widow, Mrs. E. van der Wilk-de Neef, 1991). G. Jonker, 'C. van der Wilk 70 years', in: Bouwkundig Weekblad 83(1965), p. 317-321, presents Van der Wilk as designer of the synagogue at Amsterdam and at Utrecht and Elte's residence Stadionweg 44! 24 Kees van der Wilk had been chef de bureau since 1919; the names of three collaborators are known: Willy la Croix, Piet Hartman and Karel Veerman. (Communication Mrs. E. van der Wilk-de Neef, 1991.) Willy la Croix (1906-1944) joined the Amsterdam Urban Development Department as a draughtsman in 1929; he joined Group '32. Hartman and Veerman also died long ago. 25 Emanuel Marcus Rood (1851-1929) designed the still extant synagogue on Gerard Doustraat in Amsterdam (1891-1892) and the former Weesperplein 15 synagogue (1895), and led renovations of the synagogue in Monnickendam (1894) and of the High German synagogue complex in Amsterdam (1906, 1911, 1913, 1922). 26 Elte gave a still very recognizable picture of the laborious side of the architectural profession in the interview following the completion of "De Joodsche Invalide. The building contract was accepted for ? 323,000, this was ? 25,000 below the estimate, but later the budget proved inadequate. 'Cuts had to be made. We met. It was a night meeting. Every item was discussed. One thing was dropped, another was reduced, all luxuries were inexorably banished. The entire middle section had to be dropped. We managed to save no less than sixty grand, and not a day went by after that without a fight over costs, pinging and haggling over every relative trifle.' 27 Letter from the Church Council to the Church Council N.I.H.S. dated 6-7-1925: '..... with effect from a time to be determined by you has appointed as architect Mr. Harry Elte, at a salary of ? 1000,- in the year, for the current year increased with a supplement of 25 per cent.' The Church Council set the effective date at July 15. The request for Elte to issue his instruction is captioned 'lapsed'; so perhaps it was omitted. (Archive N.I.H.S., file no. 714, Amsterdam Municipal Archives.) 28 Report church council meeting 6-7-1925 in: Centraal Blad voor Israëlieten in Nederland 41(1925)18, 10-7-1925, p. 2. Jac. S. Baars (1886-1956) and Mozes Oesterman (1888-1942) were members of Architectura et Amicitia. 29 The Reens firm advertised "interior art, home furnishings, switch furniture. Its headquarters were located Heiligeweg 47-51 in Amsterdam; in addition, there were branches in London and New York. The firm was headed by M.A. and R.C.A. Reens. 30 Communication from art dealer F. Leidelmeijer in Amsterdam, who pointed us to the booklet P. Bromberg, Het Hollandsche Interieur, Moderne Schoonheid, Amsterdam 1931, in which on p. 103 there is a photograph of a similar sideboard designed by D. van Dorp. 31 In the period 1924-1933, the Bogtman studio in Haarlem supplied stained glass for twenty buildings. Design or working drawings of glasses supplied for Elte have not been preserved at Bogtman, as Elte claimed the drawings. Information provided by glazier A. Bogtman from company archives 9-11-1992. For Atelier Bogtman see: C. Hoogveld et al. (ed.), Stained glass in the Netherlands 1817-1968, The Hague 1989. 32 For Leonard Pinkhof (1898-1943) see: M. Stroo, Leo Pinkhof Jewish artist in Den Helder, Den Helder 1990. 33 According to the present owner supplied by the firm Liberty; communication from F. Leidelmeijer. Possibly Metz & Co is meant. For many years Metz was better known under the name Liberty, after his agency of the London department store, with which Metz had established his reputation. However, in the list of designers for this company in P. Timmer, Metz & Co, the creative years, Rotterdam 1995, Elte does not appear. C.L. (Kees) Maks (1876-1967), like Elte, was a member of the Vereeniging van Beeldende Kunstenaars "De Onafhankelijken. 34 Register of the Amsterdam Chamber of Commerce and Industry, file H 36711, in National Archives of North Holland. 35 Regulation of the Reich Commissioner for the occupied Dutch territory of March 12, 1941, concerning the removal of Jews from business. The business was dissolved as of 5-5-1944 by Omnia Treuhandgesellschaft m.b.H. 36 Het Bouwbedrijf 7(1930)6, 14-3-1930, p. 128 and J.J. Vriend, Left Building Right Building. Notes on architecture and politics, Amsterdam 1974, p. 113. 37 De Bouwwereld 12(1913)23, 4-6-1913, p. 163: In the members' meeting of 2-5-1913 the following motion was adopted almost unanimously: 'De Bond van Nederlandsche Architecten, having taken note of the fact that the architect H. ELTE PZN., knowing that the architect E. VERSCHUYL was entrusted with plans for the Amsterdam Stadium, has offered to make a design for it without payment, strongly disapproves of the action of the architect ELTE. 38 Bouwkundig Weekblad 33(1913)24, 14-6-1913, p. 295 and De Bouwwereld 12(1913)25, 18-6-1913, p. 178: 'After these announcements it is obvious, in my opinion, that even after our letter of December 10, 1912(!) to the Board of the Association, in which a complete account of the facts was given, there can be no question of improper conduct on the part of Mr. Elte. 39 Architectura 21(1913)40, 4-10-1913, p. 335 and De Bouwwereld 12(1913)41, 8-10-1913, p. 307. 40 Het Bouwbedrijf 6(1929)13, 21-6-1929, p. 250: the main board was composed as follows: G.A. Schrakamp, chairman, A. v.d. Akker, vice-chairman, G.W.E. Wilmink, secr., J. Klein Breteler, treasurer, prof.ir. J.G. Wattjes, H. Elte and F.A. Warners, members. 41 Het Bouwbedrijf 11(1934)3, 9-2-1934, p. 32: on 2-2-1934 Elte held his lecture for the Circle of Groningen, 'in which the right of existence of the NIVA was further explained and the necessity of a close affiliation of bona fide architects, for the benefit of both the architect and the client, who must have the certainty that his architect will indeed be his trusted adviser and will look after his interests. Creeping abuses in the world of architecture demand that this be changed with rigor and only an institute in which compliance with the code of honor is closely monitored can provide the client with the certainty that, in this case, an order can be given to an NIVA architect in full confidence. 42 The annual reports of the Department of Building and Housing Control in those years regularly complain about 'nuisance due to drafts and moisture' as well as that 'the execution does not always meet the requirements, nor does the finish'. Aspects 40 years of public housing, Amsterdam 1968, p. 26. 43 Het Bouwbedrijf 3(1926)4, Apr.1926, p. 137: "When the first issue of 'Het Bouwbedrijf' was published in July 1924, the 'Bouwkundig Weekblad' organ of the Union of Dutch Architects wrote that it heartily wished our magazine a speedy demise. 44 Het Bouwbedrijf 11(1934)14, 13-7-1934, p. 171: 'Apart from the fact that in Delft and Rijswijk members of both architectural societies already work together in a beauty committee, the hatchet will now also be buried in Soest, because it is recognized that only through cooperation can something good be achieved. 45 Het Bouwbedrijf 17(1940)19, 13-9-1940, p. 213. NBBG = Nederlandschen Bond van Bouwmeestersgilden. 46 Bouwkundig Weekblad 21-6-1941: letter from the 'proxy' J. Boezeman. 47 Friend, Building left building right building ..., ch. VIII. 48 Inl. Memorial Center Camp Westerbork 22-2-1996. In two "Lagerbefehlen" the name of H. Elte appears. In that of 14-2-1943, Elte is named as the man responsible for construction management. 'Dienstbereich VII' included the so-called construction technical department with a.o. a drawing room (J. Presser, Ondergang, The Hague 1965, dl. II, p. 321). 49 Data from the War Graves Foundation; also mentioned in In Memoriam, The Hague 1995. Cause of death according to statement by Mrs. Herz-Adler, in file 110140 of Commission to report death of missing persons (Ministry of Justice). 50 K. Hofman, 'Harry Elte architect 1880-1944', in: M. Nord (ed.), Rebel, my heart. Artists 1940-1945, Zwolle 1995, p. 130. 51 The synagogue was built al tenai (on condition), i.e. without a fixed destination. 52 Minutes of Church Council meeting 28-11-1923 (Archive N.I.G. The Hague, inv. no. 68, archive no. 131, Hague Municipal Archives). 53 "The New Synagogue of the Utrecht Congregation," in: Nieuw Israelietisch Weekblad 17-12-1926. 54 M. Danvers, 'The New Synagogue in Amsterdam East. An interview with the architect, Mr. Jac. S. Baars', in: De Vrijdagavond 7-9-1928. 55 Gemeentearchief Amsterdam: Schoonheidscommissie (archive no. 458.A), inv.nrs. 39, 40 and 41. 56 'Architect B.N.A. Ferd. B. Jantzen F.Gzn.', in: Het Bouwbedrijf 8(1931)2, pp. 28-29; H.P. Berlage et al. (ed.), Modern Architecture in the Netherlands, Rotterdam 1932, dl. 15 Churches, pp. 26-27 and 48. 57 H. Elte Phzn., 'Synagogue construction in South', in: Algemeen Handelsblad 8-5-1928. 58 M. Eisler, 'Ein Moderner Tempel in Amsterdam', in: Menorah 7(1929)11/12, p. 566: 'Ihre modernität rührt nicht an den alten geheiligten Brauch, im Gegenteil, sie emphindet seinen lebengedanken, in sein ganzes Recht.' idem, 'Vom Geist der Synagoge', in: Menorah 8(1930)1, pp. 77-86: 'Aber die Holländer will - met den Mitteln des farbigen Lichtes - die mystische Wirkung.' See also: C.H. Krinsky, Synagogues of Europe. Architecture, History, Meaning, Cambridge (Mass.)/London 1985, p. 400, which interprets Eisler's text differently. 59 I. Salomons, 'Lekstraat synagogue - functionalism as spatial art', in: Living-TA/BK 6(1978)12, p. 7-15. 60 Abraham Elzas (1907-1995), the prize winner whose design for the Lekstraat synagogue was executed, confirmed in a conversation with Lidwien van Grieken, that Elte was one of the contenders. The designs were published under motto in Bouwkundig Weekblad Architectura 56(1935)29, p. 297-306. Based on stylistic features, the plan "Signed Motto" may be Elte's, though certainty is lacking. 61 J. Hegt, 'The new synagogue in the Bezuidenhoutkwartier', in: Ha'amoed 30-12-1937. 62 W. Reinink, K.P.C. de Bazel - Architect, Leiden 1965, pp. 166, 189 and 214. 63 Danvers, ''The Joodsche Invalide' ...', p. 168: 'Harry Elte tells'. 64 'Urban planning measures concerning Museumplein and surroundings. Advice of the Amsterdam Council for Urban Planning', Municipal Gazette 1978, Appendix Q. 65 J.H.W. Leliman, Het Stadswoonhuis in Nederland. During the last 25 years, The Hague 1924 2nd edition, p. XI. 66 Leliman, Het stadswoonhuis ..., p. XI. 67 J.H.W. Leliman and K. Sluyterman, Het Moderne Landhuis in Nederland, The Hague 1922 3rd edition, p. XX. 68 File 519 C archive BWT Blaricum. Containing letters from B&W Blaricum to the Minister of Labor dated 20-4-1922 and 9-6-1922. Agreement and settlement with N.V. Bouwmaatschappij Blaricum-Bussum owned by the late Dr. G.G.A. Mastenbroek of Blaricum. 69 Moreover, the city council appeared to believe that Elte was delaying progress to take advantage of falling construction prices. However, because the work was awarded after tender, profiting from falling construction prices was out of the question; on the contrary, the contractor held the tenderer liable for damages as a result of the delays. (File 519 C archive BWT Blaricum.) 70 Report Monuments in the Outlying Area, Huizen 1995/6, object no. 2. 71 For example, Elte was a director of N.V. Exploitatiemaatschappij 'Brocken' (client of Stadionweg 7) and of N.V. 'Bernina' (client of Stadionweg 9). Cf. the N.V. Amsterdamsche Maatschappij tot Exploitatie van Etagewoningen founded in 1914 by architect F.A. Warners. 72 J.G. Wattjes, 'Dwelling house on Stadionweg in Amsterdam, architect Harry Elte, N.I.V.A.', in: Het Bouwbedrijf 7(1930)19, p. 373-376. 73 Examples of this historicizing architectural style in Amsterdam include: Nederlandsch-Indische Escomptomaatschappij, Keizersgracht 573-575 by J.A. van Straaten (1909), Nederlandsch-Indische Handelsbank, Singel 250 by J.P.F. van Rossum and W.J. Vuyk (1910), Amsterdamsche Maatschappij voor Levensverzekering, Keizersgracht 555 by C.B. Posthumus Meyjes sr. (1917) and Pierson & Co, Herengracht 206-214 by A.D.N. van Gendt (1917). 74 Interest in F.L. Wright peaked in the 1920s. A. van der Woud, "The New World" and "Variations on a Theme," in: Americana. Dutch architecture 1880-1930, tent.cat. Rijksmuseum Kröller-Müller 1975, p. 24 and 39. See also: H.J.F. de Roy van Zuydewijn, Amsterdamse bouwkunst 1815-1940, Amsterdam z.j., p. 187. 75 Danvers, ''The Joodsche Invalide' ...', p. 169 (with his photograph). 76 Confusingly, a namesake and professional colleague appears in architectural publications, namely Hans (eig. Henri Joachim) Elte (Alkmaar 1906 - Canada 1977), who worked at the offices of Roosenburgh, Zwiers and Merkelbach and Karsten, was a member of Group '32 and emigrated to England in 1942. After the war he was a lecturer at the Technical College in Toronto and, since 1951, extraordinary professor of architecture at the University of Oklahoma. (newspaper report 16-7-1951.) No kinship has been demonstrated between the Amsterdam and Alkmaar families of Elte. Interchange of Harry and Hans Elte at: I. Salomons, Lekstraat synagogue - functionalism as spatial art, in: Wonen-TA/BK 6(1978)12, p. 15, and C. van der Peet and G. Steenmeijer (ed.), De Rijksbouwmeesters, Rotterdam 1995, p. 570. 77 Communication of Mrs. E. van der Wilk-de Neef in Amsterdam; her husband was employed by Elte from 1917 to 1929, so nothing is known of the later years either. 78 See note 19. 79 'Harry Elte Ph.zn. Architect N.I.V.A.', in: Het Bouwbedrijf 8(1931)3, p. 40. 80 G. Fanelli, Modern Architecture in the Netherlands 1900-1940, The Hague 1978, p. 116 and 264. 81 In addition, valuable information was obtained from the late architect A. Elzas, art dealer F. Leidelmeijer, Mrs. van Otterlo-van Luyting, Dr. C. Reijnders, H.J. Ursem and Mrs. E. van der Wilk-de Neef of Amsterdam, glazier A. Bogtman of Haarlem, Mrs. C.H. Elte-van Beever of Hengelo (Ov.) and the late Dr. G.G.A. Mastenbroek of Blaricum. Education: Evening drawing school for Craftsmen/;apprentice volunteer architectural offices G. van Arkel, H.H. Baanders, J. Herman and Z. Deenik/ from 1896-1899;draftsman office H.P. Berlage/1899-1909; Additional positions: Vereeniging van Beeldende Kunstenaars(member)/1912, (member and commissioner of the board)/1913-1914), (chairman)/1915;Genootschap Architectura et Amicitia (member)/;Nederlandsch Instituut van Architecten (NIVA) (member of the main board)/1929-1941