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Rudolf Horn, Pioneering East German Furniture Designer, Dies at 96

Cultural institutions plan an exhibition to honor his legacy, with his working room to be preserved at Dresden’s Museum of Decorative Arts.

Overview

  • Manon Bursian of the Kunststiftung Sachsen-Anhalt confirmed that Horn died Sunday in Halle at the home of his life partner.
  • Horn co-developed the MDW modular furniture system with Eberhard Wüstner for Deutsche Werkstätten Hellerau, unveiled in 1967 at the Leipzig Spring Fair.
  • The MDW program became a staple of East German living, with wall units in more than half a million households and components designed for flexible, user-assembled layouts.
  • From 1968 to 1996 he taught and led furniture and interior design at Burg Giebichenstein in Halle, shaping generations of designers through close ties to industry.
  • In October 2025 he received Saxony-Anhalt’s state art prize for his life’s work, and parts of his furniture program remain sought-after by collectors.