Der Wiederaufb au der Stadt Rostock nach dem Zweiten Weltkrieg

Abstract

The reconstruction of the city of Rostock after World War II

One can distinguish three periods in the urban planning and housing industry in the Soviet occupation zone, which also reflect architectural trends in Rostock:

1) in the years 1945–1950 – the construction industry inspired by the style of “New Objectivity”;

2) in the years 1950–1957 – the reconstruction of city centres in the style of “national tradition” (in Rostock it was Gothic art) following the Soviet model (with trunk lines, parade squares and city landmarks);

3) industrial housing industry (“wielka płyta” / panelák – blocks of fl ats constructed of pre-fabricated concrete): “cheaper, better, more beautiful” with reference to the style of the “New Objectivity”, constructing dormitory-towns with panelak (prefab) blocks of flats.

The so-called Bildzeichenarchitektur (the architect Hermann Henselmann) constitutes a special architectural form, the example of which are such buildings as: the tower block for the University in Leipzig in the form of an open book, the fine tower block of the VEB Carl Zeiss enterprise in Jena in the shape of a telescope, the tower block in the shape of a large sail in Rostock (the project was not completed). The housing industry had priority over urban planning.