Bauen nach Stalin

Architektur und Stadtebau der DDR im Prozess der Entstalinisierung 1954-1960

by Toni Salomon

Book cover: Bauen nach Stalin

Extent: 592 pages

Publisher: Schiler & Mucke GbR Verlag

Subjects: Architecture, German Studies

Language: German

Hardback (Published)

(September 2016)

ISBN: 9783899300659

Price: $66.00

In stock

After Stalin’s death, the GDR’s building industry underwent a profound process of change. Not only the aesthetics of the “confectioner’s style” were put to the test, but also ideology, building technology and the relationship between architects, engineers and the state leadership. What happened to architecture and urban planning between 1955 and 1960 was far more complex than previously assumed. The transition from traditionalism to modernism was not a straightforward process, but possessed twists and turns and unperceived alternatives. In his study, Toni Salomon illuminates for the first time in detail how this negotiation process took place and what drove the actors. Richly illustrated, he interweaves theory and building practice. Thus, “East Modernism” clearly gains in contour – not only as a style, but as the result of a wide variety of ideas, interests and power situations; clearly distinguishable from building in West Germany and other socialist states. At the same time, the work provides clues about the possibilities and limits of change in the GDR in general. with numerous color and black-and-white illustrations.

  • By (author) Toni Salomon