Luwig Mies van der Rohe (pronounced [ˈlʊdvɪç miːs faːn dɛʀ ˈʀoːɐ]), born Maria Ludwig Michael Mies (March 27, 1886 – August 17, 1969) was a German-born American architect. He was commonly referred to and addressed by his surname, Mies, by most of his American students and others.