Nathan, Fritz, 1891-1960

Fritz Nathan was born in Bingen [am Rhein], in the Rhineland, in 1891. He was a graduate of the Institute of Technology of Munich and Darmstadt, and became one of the leading Jewish architects in Germany during the pre-Hitler era. He began working as an architect in 1914, and served in World War I. Nathan emigrated to Holland in 1938, and came to the United States in 1940, where he continued his architectural career.

Among his earlier achievements in Germany, where he became an independent architect in 1922, were the monument in honor of Jewish soldiers at the Weissensee cemetery, the new Jewish cemetery in Frankfurt, the first skyscraper in Mannheim, and a department store in Frankfurt. During his career, he built institutional and business buildings as well as private homes. His architectural work displayed the impact of the modern style popular at that time. In the United States, Nathan was perhaps best known for the Jewish temples he designed, such as the Jewish Community Center in White Plains and the temple of the Congregation Mishkan Israel in New Haven. In addition, he designed many industrial and private buildings, both in Germany and the United States. He died in New York City on November 3, 1960. He was survived by his brother, economist Otto Nathan, wife Lucie Nathan, and daughter Doris Nathan, an architect who began working with her father shortly before his death.

From the guide to the Fritz Nathan Collection, 1914-2000, (Leo Baeck Institute)