▁composer ▁Felix ▁M ott l . ▁M ott l ▁appreciated ▁Kauf mann ' s ▁skills ▁as ▁a ▁pian ist , ▁and ▁he ▁and ▁other ▁musical ▁contacts ▁of ▁Kauf mann ' s ▁would ▁prove ▁to ▁be ▁important ▁influ ences ▁on ▁his ▁later ▁architect ural ▁work . ▁ ▁Among ▁Kauf mann ' s ▁teachers ▁during ▁his ▁studies ▁were ▁Josef ▁Dur m , ▁Otto ▁War th , ▁Carl ▁Sch ä fer , ▁and ▁Max ▁La e ug er . ▁Kauf mann ▁graduated ▁with ▁his ▁engineering ▁di pl oma ▁on ▁ 1 4 ▁December ▁ 1 8 9 9 , ▁with ▁a ▁grade ▁of ▁" good ". ▁ ▁Also ▁during ▁his ▁education ▁in ▁Kar ls ru he , ▁Kauf mann ▁met ▁his ▁future ▁b ride , ▁Emma ▁G ön ner , ▁daughter ▁of ▁the ▁mayor ▁of ▁the ▁town ▁of ▁Baden - B aden . ▁They ▁married ▁in ▁ 1 9 0 3 , ▁at ▁which ▁point ▁Kauf mann ▁converted ▁to ▁Christian ity ▁at ▁his ▁father - in - law ' s ▁beh est . ▁ ▁Early ▁Berlin ▁years ▁ ▁In ▁Berlin , ▁Kauf mann ▁got ▁a ▁job ▁in ▁the ▁architect ural ▁firm ▁of ▁the ▁well - known ▁the ater ▁construction ▁firm ▁of ▁Bern hard ▁Se hr ing . ▁He ▁was ▁assigned ▁to ▁construct ▁a ▁new ▁the ater ▁in ▁the ▁city ▁of ▁B iele feld . ▁It ▁was ▁his ▁first ▁solo ▁project , ▁and ▁was ▁influenced ▁by ▁the ▁work ▁of ▁another ▁Kar ls ru he ▁architect , ▁Hermann ▁Bill ings , ▁whom ▁Kauf mann ▁never ▁actually ▁met ▁in