urbanHIST

Urbanism and Politics: European Planning Cultures in the 20th Century

Urbanism is often investigated as a sphere that develops independently of politics and society, following internal dynamics. The lecture series will criticize this approach by shifting focus towards the promoter of public planning: state institutions at different levels and under different socio-political conditions in Europe, the continent where urban planning reached its strongest position during the 20th century. 

According to research projects and PhD programmes that are currently directed by the Chair for Spatial Planning and Spatial Research (Raumplanung und Raumforschung), we will pay special attention on the dependence of urbanism and spatial planning on the political system in which it develops. In doing so, we will avoid the concentration on the few European countries that are usually considered in main stream planning history discussion.  Within the lecture series, we will tackle some major issues, such as Welfare State, modernity, Bauhaus, dictatorship and historiography.

Considered geographical contexts will include some of the cities investigated within our research projects and PhD programmes: Lisbon, Madrid, Ferrara, Rome, Berlin, Weimar, Prague and Moscow. Lectures will be given both by scholars of the BUW and by invited guests.

From Socialist to Post-Socialist Urban Planning

Focusing on the second half of the 20th century, characteristics of socialist urban planning are considered in this semester´s open lecture series. Field trips to Leipzig, Dresden and Berlin will complete the series of lectures. We discuss key-texts in workshops.

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For more detailed information, please contact the team BUW.