Harald Bodenschatz – författare

Urban planning was an essential instrument of the National Socialist dictatorship. It served to legitimize rule and demonstrate strength, accompanied rearmament and war, conveyed the socio-political program, was a medium of competition with other states, tied old and new professionals to the regime, and systematically marginalized population groups.In this book urban planning under the Nazi dictatorship is for the first time examined not only as something that evolved during the different periods of Nazi rule but also in the context of other European dictatorships of the time. The period between 1933 and 1945 saw important changes in the focus of Nazi urban planning. These affected the cast of principal actors, the content of the regime’s propaganda, cities and areas affected, programs and practices, and winners and losers. The result of this survey is a multi-layered picture that goes beyond the usual presentation of well-known power-projecting buildings to take into account a range of other important aspects including housing construction, urban renewal, internal colonization, buildings for rearmament, large-scale infrastructure, industrial areas, educational institutions, and camps.

In the first half of the twentieth century, urban design under the influence of European dictatorships not only served to support the rulers in their own country, but also to gain the recognition of the democratic states. After the National Socialist regime came to power in Germany, urban design increasingly became the trump card in the competition amongst the large dictatorships in Europe - almost as in the time of absolutism. Irrespective of all conflicts and political orientations, there was an intense exchange of ideas amongst the states in Europe. It is therefore not adequate to make an assessment just from the point of view of the dictatorships. The overarching view helps to understand the special characteristics of each dictatorship and also disproves some simplified interpretations of their respective approaches to urban design. That is not just of historic interest; the discussion of the issue of dictatorships is always also an expression of our social condition, our commemorative culture, our ability to recognize old and new forms of dictatorship - even today! The book discusses the state of research into urban design under five dictatorships during the first half of the twentieth century, and presents new research results based on examples.

The redevelopment of historical centers became an important policy field in the era of European dictatorships following the First World War. At that time historical centers were regarded as shabby and as tarnishing the desired image of a magnificent new city, of a showcase of the dictatorship. This led to the widespread demolition of older buildings. Historical streets and squares disappeared and were replaced by new apartments and workplaces for the loyal middle classes, by car-friendly roads and ostentatious new buildings. Nevertheless, the redevelopment of historical centers did not exclusively mean the eradication of the ‘old town’. The aim of the dictatorship in many cases was also the preservation, and often the cultic display, of historical testimonials to past greatness. The book presents examples of the redevelopment of historical centers in Mussolini’s Italy, in Stalin’s Soviet Union, in Hitler’s Germany, in Salazar’s Portugal and in Franco’s Spain.