Architecture guide GDR

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The GDR architecture guide is a multi-volume reference work on the building fabric in the GDR area that is considered to be of aesthetic, cultural, historical and urban planning importance . It was published jointly by the Building Academy of the GDR (Institute for Urban Development and Architecture), the Association of Architects in the GDR and the Institute for Monument Preservation .

Authors and contributors

The multi-volume work is a compilation of historical and modern buildings by a large group of authors who change their territory. Among the supporting institutions were a. Ludwig Deiters , Peter Goralczyk, Werner Wachtel and Ule Lammert were involved. Hans Nadler , Heinrich Magirius and Heinrich Douffet , for example, stand out among the recognized specialist authors . The editorial management of the individual volumes was assigned to different people.

This architectural guide was drawn up by a group of authors who, for this purpose, had a literature base from the academic library and archive holdings of the publishing institutions. Among the image sources were u. a. the Deutsche Fotothek , the Institute for Monument Preservation of the GDR, municipal planning groups, university photo offices and numerous photographers, for example von Rössing. Scientific periodicals are listed in the sources. These are the journals Architecture of the GDR , Monument Preservation in the GDR and the Saxon Homeland Papers .

content

In the multi-volume architecture guide, a selection of important monuments from the historical heritage as well as evidence of modern building in the GDR is described through text and images. The structure of the work was based on the administrative units at that time, the districts . Each volume describes the buildings in a district. The average length is 160 pages per volume.

The priorities in terms of content are the former district and district towns . The individual building descriptions are preceded by a section of text that deals with the architectural history of the respective city or region. This historical outline begins with the early evidence of the development and ends with the most recent buildings. In rural areas, the natural landscape-shaping factors and important geological conditions are discussed. Occasionally, this creates a reference to the regional building tradition. In the explanations of the big cities, there are not only key architectural statements but also representations of urban planning issues from older and more modern perspectives.

The illustrations consist of black and white pictures and drawings. Mainly building views are shown, occasionally also floor plans. As illustrators u. a. Gerda Nutzmann, Jochen Helbig and Ulrich Wittich worked for this work.

The work lists construction times and the architects and artists involved. Furthermore, there is detailed information on the building parts, the construction method, the architectural decoration, spatial sub-structures (e.g. number of apartments) and contemporary uses (museum, administrative offices, etc.). There are monuments , church buildings and engineering structures such as bridges described. There are examples from the various architectural eras that existed and existed on the territory of the GDR. The explanations are mostly relevant and subject-specific. From the individual chairmen of the councils of the districts or, in the case of Berlin, from the mayor, most of the volumes contain a preface that contains political assessments and references to the power structure at that time.

In terms of the number of individual objects described, it even surpasses the multi-volume series of illustrated books on German art monuments published by Akademie-Verlag Berlin , but goes into less detail. According to its own statement, the work was aimed at interested citizens and tourists. The description of the individual buildings was made in a streamlined text form, which in most cases is comparable with the individual representations in the Handbook of German Art Monuments , but with an additional illustration per building, in selected cases with a floor plan.

structure

The volumes were published by VEB Verlag für Bauwesen Berlin and mostly had a second edition, and in some cases more. The work is structured as follows (the year of the 1st edition in brackets):

  • Architecture Guide GDR, Berlin, capital of the GDR (1974, 1976 2 )
  • Architecture guide GDR, Cottbus district (not published)
  • Architecture Guide GDR, Dresden District (1979)
  • Architecture Guide GDR, Erfurt District (1979)
  • Architecture Guide GDR, Frankfurt (Oder) District (1987)
  • Architecture Guide GDR, Gera District (1981)
  • Architecture Guide GDR, Halle District (1977)
  • Architecture Guide GDR, Karl-Marx-Stadt District (1989)
  • Architecture Guide GDR, Leipzig District (1976)
  • Architecture guide GDR, Magdeburg district (not published)
  • Architecture guide GDR, Neubrandenburg district (not published)
  • Architecture Guide GDR, Potsdam District (1981)
  • Architecture Guide GDR, Rostock District (1978)
  • Architecture Guide GDR, Schwerin District (1977)
  • Architecture Guide GDR, Suhl District (1989)

The three volumes that were not published during the GDR era were submitted to Verlag für Bauwesen a few years later, omitting the obsolete title components "GDR" and "District" :

  • Architecture Guide Neubrandenburg: City and Surroundings (1991)
  • Architectural Guide Magdeburg: Walks through the City and Surroundings (1992)
  • Architecture guide Cottbus: Walks through the city and surroundings (1993)

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