How did Ludwig Mies van der Rohe get his early experience in construction?

Ludwig Mies van der Rohe did not receive formal architectural training; instead, he gained his early experience through practical work and apprenticeships.12

As the son of a master mason who owned a stonecutter’s shop, Mies assisted his father on various construction sites during his youth. At age 15, he began an apprenticeship with local architects in Aachen, where he developed his talent for linear drawing by sketching architectural ornaments for stucco decorations.12

His professional development continued in Berlin, where he worked for an architect before apprenticing with the prominent furniture designer Bruno Paul. His career advanced significantly after he completed his first commission—a traditional suburban house—which so impressed the influential architect Peter Behrens that he hired the young Mies to work in his office. Through this role, Mies gained exposure to the Deutscher Werkbund and the progressive architectural theories that would shape his later career.12