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One of the most enduring reminders of the German Democratic Republic GDR, aka East Germany, is its distinctive architecture Compound notoriously unattractive materials in thick concrete board to peel these monuments were designed to impress the communist aesthetic less remote and still not.
In the 1950s, after the GDR was founded, a construction boom has turned cities into modern metropolises buildings and squares inspired by the neo-classical architectural style Stalinist emerged from World War rubble, symbolizing the brand new country and emphasizing the contrast to the former West Germany Meanwhile, the propaganda machine of the Communist Party used the building and work as a metaphor for the emergence of a new country with a radically new economic and social system of the east German movies of the era, including the excellent Spur der Steine traces of Stone, available on Netflix, stressed these same public art themes, including murals and statues in the socialist bloc is preferred style Realistic glorified the common worker with bold images of the triumphant farmers, workers and builders is easy to imagine that these images re-constructions and departure must again have been an inspiration for German daily East still living among Wor ld War II destruction.
One of the first cities in the GDR for a facelift was East Berlin, the main architect of the communist party, Hermann Henselmann, transformed the east-west artery of Karl Marx Allee, which was soon renamed Stalin Allee, Champs -Élysées Eastern Since this was part of East Berlin that Western and tourists would see the East German government wanted to make a shining example of thousands of modernity country workers have been hired to broaden the Avenue and then line with a creamy white, squared Stalinist buildings in the so-called wedding cake style as well as cinemas, shops and restaurants to fast today, and yet exudes a decadent avenue if the air decaying.
But as the economy of Germany slowed, so too did its construction boom low production costs trumped prestige projects from scratch and the era of Plattenbauten has emerged in pre-manufactured buildings of cookie-cutter apartments were cheap to produce and easy to assemble Their main goal most of which were apartments built in the outskirts of the historic centers of the city buildings was to replace buildings destroyed in the war and deliver RDA promise of housing for everyone because each had great height and still has the capacity to accommodate hundreds of families in cramped quarters.
East German designers have also provided a set of mass-produced furniture that makes the best use of these cramped quarters Such furniture was multi-functional table Multifunktionstisch, Mulfuti for short, a folding table that could be raised and folded to become coffee table and a dining room table Visit the popular movie website Sonnennalle Mufuti and click in the upper right corner to see the tableware, tea sets and other products every day were also produced in mass You can find these iconic in demand items in flea markets of East Germany.
In addition to the construction of new structures, the architects of the GDR were also charged with the task of reconstruction and restoration of historical sites throughout East Germany that was damaged during the Second World War in some cases the GDR historical monuments razed to make way for new modern buildings for examples, dozens of churches have been victims of bulldozers GDR ideology also played a role in their destruction loss Universitätskirche Church University of Leipzig was an episode particularly painful that continues to inspire controversy between Leipzigers see Dresden Grand Saxony government didn t destroy historic structures, though officials aware of the prestige and tourism related to historical cities, kept dozens of sites, including the baroque buildings Dresden Dresden see Grand Saxony, neoclassical palace Weim ar see Frankfurt am Main, Hessen Thuringia and historic university buildings Lutherstadt-Wittenberg, where the religious leader Martin Luther lived Grea ter see Dresden Saxony.
The government of the GDR preserved Quendlinburg of halftimbers Photo by Susan Buzzelli.
In many cases, mainly due to lack of funds, the architects of the GDR left significant historical centers of smaller less economically only major cities Therefore, Quedlinburg, a backwater asleep on the Bode river in the mountains of Harz see Dresden Grand Saxony retained its priceless set of houses half-timbered Fachwerkhäuser intact, which have even been rehabilitated part of in the GDR by Polish experts there that one building GDR era in the historic center, and it was designed to blend in with its historic surroundings indeed GDR architecture wasn t all modern buildings and there are dozens of the time of the GDR that mimic historical styles to prove the port city of Rostock see the coast of the Baltic sea, where the red brick buildings of east German blend into gems red brick Gothiq eu Steingotik is just one of many examples.
East German architecture still defines German cityscapes of today is the easiest to find and the most common structures are the Plattenbauten ringing the historic centers of towns and cities such as Dominos Although many of these apartment buildings have been modernized with new facades to suit contemporary tastes, they continue to soak the eastern half of the country with communist architectural sensibilities you are wondering what you can pick up traces of German history is the points below to architectural monuments and the most important products of the GDR in the country.
Almost as famous as the Brandenburg Gate, the Fernsehturm tower mounted arrow television that rises above solid Alexanderplatz is one of the only inland city of towers television in Europe Designed to be an in your face demonstration of German technology East could state -run the East German TV tower projected in all Berlin houses most of East Berlin, however, the preferred television waves they could pick up West RDA other examples of architectural rings from the time and the Alexanderplatz posts, including time World clock, pictured above.
The unbalance the pudgy theater in the heart of the Mitte district of Berlin, steps from Alexanderplatz, would no doubt impressed the ancient Romans Dug thick concrete slabs, massive theater announced to the world that the GDR was a cultural scene dynamic Indeed, many talented playwrights East Germany, including Heiner Müller and Völker Braun, debuted their popular theater work still running.
One of the most famous drawings East Germany is a small four-seater with two stages, the two-cylinder engine that could reach a maximum speed of 60 miles per hour Produced in a factory in Zwickau, residents wait until '14 years for the opportunity to drive a Trabi flimsy plastic lined Today you can take a Trabi Safari in Berlin or Dresden to experience, first hand, how these iconic cars were sub-par.
Built from the ground in the 1950s, this city of the plant was also designed to be a model workers community A labyrinth Plattenbau buildings not to mention a massive, steel mill still operating the city is a showcase outdoor GDR with the architecture of its population steadily declining, the city is closer to a museum one life, bustling city.
As Eisenhüttenstadt, this massive, jungle inner city high rise Plattenbau buildings along the western edge of Halle historic center was designed to serve the community ideal communist buildings with six to eleven floors some no elevator was a direct access to the tram lines and S-bahn Today it is covered with graffiti, half-abandoned testament to the impersonality of the GDR architecture.
Spreewaldhof pickles, laundry detergent Persil, Rotkäppchen Sekt sparkling wine and a small handful of East German products have survived reunification Accustomed to those everyday, household items, German consumers Eastern assured that they didn t disappear into oblivion with the Berlin Wall, you can find a wide variety of these products in some stores products is Ostprodukte remaining, which are also called Ossiladen oriental shops You can even order products online Ostprodukte Versand.
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East German architecture Zeitguide Guide Germany, is German, architecture, Germany.