Liebe und Leidenschaft

One can only imagine that a nearly thirty-year-old architect is planning and executing a project of the scale represented by the Grand Hotel St. Moritz in 1903, hinting at his passion for architecture and gigantism. In fact, Karl Koller, who is the subject here, embodied the spirit of innovation, pioneering zeal, and architectural boldness of his time in one person. However, his total commitment to architecture took a toll on his marriage to Clara Koller-Marbach from Bern. She entrusted her sorrow to diaries, which she wrote candidly and with a sensitive literary talent. They are a poignant testament to the life situation of a woman at the beginning of the last century. The author, Mengia Spreiter-Gallin, is a granddaughter of the couple Karl and Clara Koller-Marbach. She had access to the copies of letters, documents, and diaries.