Abstract
This study is an investigation of the formation and development of the artist colony in Darmstadt between 1898 and 1914,its aims and impact on the history of German arts and crafts. Established by Grand Duke Ernst Ludwig of Hessen in 1899,it primarily developed the applied and decorative art of Jugendstil. An analysis of Peter Behrens' design motives and his design philosophy seeks to show how the colony produced valuable artists and work that effected cultwal reform.
