architect university professor
Born in Mainz, Johannes Krahn studied architecture from 1923 to 1927 at the Technische Lehranstalten Offenbach. He graduated as a civil engineer at the Rheinisch-Westfälische Technische Hochschule Aachen University. In 1954 he completed at the Konstablerwache in Frankfurt the early skyscraper Bienenkorbhaus (Beehive House).
He continued his studies 1927 to 1928 at the Kölner Werkschulen as Meisterschüler of Dominikus Böhm, who interested him in building churches. Krahn worked with Rudolf Schwarz from 1928 to 1940. In Frankfurt he was in charge of the rebuilding after World World War II of the Paulskirche, starting in 1947, later he was on the team to rebuild the Städelegate
In 1950 he built the French Embassy in Bad Godesberg.
His church building Saint Wendel, Frankfurt (1957) has been compared to Le Corbusier in terms of materials and flow of light. In 1962 he built the Klaus-von-der-Flüe Friedenskirche in Wörsdorf.
In 1965 Krahn created a variation on the interplay of stonemasonry, glass and concrete of Saint Wendel in Saint Martin, Idstein. In 1966 he built Saint Sebastian in Frankfurt.
In 1973 he built the City-Hochhaus in Frankfurt, together with Richard Heil.
He died in Orselina, Switzerland. He was the director of the Städelschule from 1965 to 1970. With dedication to detail, he stressed function, construction and material, and refrained from pure ornament.
Dannien-Maassen, Hanna (1991).
