Session 10 13.01. Post-war Architectural Heritage: The History of Reconstruction, 1945-1990.

Exam Questions on Literature:

1. After 1949 two German States and consequently the divided city of Berlin were representing
conflicting parties of the „Cold War“. Explain how and where architecture became part of this conflict
and how planners and architects tried to express the values of both political systems. Stalinallee and
Hansaviertel may serve as example.

2. Please describe some characteristics of the city reconstruction concepts after 1949 in the German
Democratic Republic. (fundamental principles of town planning etc.) What had changed after Stalin’s
death in 1953 in East German Planning politics?

1. Pg25.
After the war, in both east and west arises the issue of rebuilding the country. Coming from
different ideologies the two states, FR and GDR had different approaches that reflected also in
architecture and urban planning.
For the Federal Republic, an important topic in its position of the Cold War was, eliminating all
of the past and its symbols. On the other hand, the GDR chose to rebuild the cities from the
old structures, away from the international architecture.
An example of this situation is the planning of both Berlin sides.
From the Federal Republic, the rebuilding of Hansaviertel, a destructed district. Instead of the
densely developed quartier, they ended up creating an estate containing greenery and bright
dwellings. Famous and contemporary architects built their own residential buildings in the
area (1. Alvar Aalto, Niemeyer, Gropius. 2. Le Corbusier. 3. Jacobsen). From the propaganda
pont of view, it was successful, but it had little cultural substance.

On the GDR, Henselmann completed the Stalinallee in 1960 with the highrise on the
Webeweise. With the same idea for a future city, but with the help of the past. It was made in
the late Stalinist decorative style.

2. Pg12 and pg13 for the second part

After the death of Stalin, GDR reacted to the Moscow conference slogan “Build better, faster
and cheaper” but combined with the warning that the changes of the Moscow conference
should not be confounded with Western architecture. More emphasis was put on industrial
buildings. Priorities changed. The district capital now got more importance and the fewer the
towns, the more hierarchical their treatment. Inconsistency in the planning of Heisenmann. A
large ax had begun and interrupted several times, which didn’t create an urban atmosphere.
They compared him to Speer. The latter obeyed his Fuhrer, but the former resisted until
complied with a mediocre design. Money was also scarce so they had to distribute it
accordingly.
East Germany principles on rebuilding included:
- Limitations on the growth of towns.
- Emphasis on monumental city centers.
- Criticism of the garden city concept. (Considered ideal for American and British politics)
- Propaganda for the construction of Skyscrapers.

The first of the sixteen principles declared that the city should be an expression of national
consciousness of the people.