Wiederaufb au in Hamburg – Leitbilder und Realisierung

Abstract

Reconstruction in Hamburg – ideals and realization

Hamburg was one of the German cities most affected by bombing raids. Aft er the end of the war Hamburg restorers’ aim was to create the zone of the Old City on the island of Cremon, which was particularly protected by them. Some of the destroyed buildings from other districts of the city were to be moved to the monumental zone and used for reconstruction. The existing city structure and limitations related to it were taken into account in a directive concerning the reconstruction of the city centre, which was issued after the war. In the ruined area, full of debris, there was created a street which crossed the Old City in the east-west directions, where in 1949 it was planned to construct only low buildings. In a changing model of the city new buildings were constructed solitary in a smooth well-spaced area.

From 1948 the development plan of the centre of Hamburg was updated. In the first place, the general shape of the urban space was maintained: in the directive concerning the area around Binnenalster Lake some buildings were set as models for new ones and for older ones which were being reconstructed. Th e directive of 1953 includes similar rules concerning the reconstruction of Town Hall Square (Rathausmarkt). Special emphasis was given to maintaining the outline of the city. All construction projects in the city centre aft er 1945 were subjected to one aim – to maintain the cultural centre of the city. Restorers found it hard to carry out their plans while reconstructing the Old City. Many old buildings were replaced by new architecture.