Additional information
by Karin Wilhelm (Author), Johann Sauer (Author), Nicole Opel (Author)
Two architects have largely escaped notice in literature on the reconstruction of postwar (West) Berlin, despite their long-lasting legacy in shaping its architectural fabric: Paul Schwebes and Hans Schoszberger, who have worked together in a joint office since 1956. Several of their buildings still stand as emblematic of Berlin's City West, shaping its urban flair between Kurfürstendamm and Tauentzienstra e, Ernst-Reuter-Platz and Breitscheidplatz, in Budapester Stra e and in other districts. Reconstructing over 160 projects from Berlin's pre- and postwar years, mainly from the tertiary sector with a smaller number of residential buildings, the volume also uncovers the political and economic conditions that allowed this architecture to become symbols of a new era and an open society after 1945.
Author Biography
Karin Wilhelm studied art history, sociology, and philosophy. Between 1991 and 2001, she has been professor of Art and Cultural History at TU Graz. Following this, she became Professor of the History and Theory of Architecture and the City at TU Braunschweig. She was a member of Stiftung Bauhaus Dessau's Scientific Advisory Board from 1994 to 1999, and was named a member of the Braunschweigische Wissenschaftliche Gesellschaft scientific society in 2011.
Johann Sauer studied German and art history and is a dramaturge and co-director. He has translated and adapted numerous works, focusing particularly on English dramatic literature, as well as essays on the history of theatre.
Nicole Opel studied architecture in Weimar and Venice. She has been a member of the research project on the architects Paul Schwebes and Hans Schoszberger since 2020. Prior to this, she was a freelance research assistant at the Bauhaus-Archiv / Museum für Gestaltung in Berlin. From 2009 to 2013 and again in 2015, she was an editor of the ARCH+ magazine in Berlin and Aachen.
