Das ehemalige deutsche Generalkonsulat

Zeuge der kosmopolitischen Vergangenheit İzmirs

Abstract

The former residence of the Guiffray family on the Kordon in İzmir cannot be described as an outstanding work in the history of architecture, neither in its original form nor in the modernized guise of the German Consulate-General of the 1930s. However, investigation of its historical development and inspection of its surviving structures reveal some very noteworthy aspects. These aspects, together with the evidence it provides of İzmir’s Levantine past, and the fact that many of the Kordon’s historical buildings have now been lost invest the building with a particular signifi cance not only in respect of regional history. Preservative restoration and appropriate utilization in a manner that guarantees the continued existence of the historical building fabric without substantial modifi cations – for example in the form of a cultural centre – are therefore strongly to be desired.