The power of past greatness : urban renewal of historic centres in European dictatorships /
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...
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Other Authors: | |
| Format: | Book |
| Language: | English |
| Language Notes: | Translated from the German. |
| Published: |
Berlin :
DOM Publishers,
[2021].
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| Series: | Schriften des Architekturmuseums der Technischen Universität Berlin.
Papers of the Bauhaus Institute for the History and Theory of Architecture and Planning at the Bauhaus-Universit̃t Weimar. |
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| Summary: | 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 (Rome, Brescia, Bologna, Naples), in Stalin's Soviet Union (Moscow), in Hitler's Germany (Berlin), in Salazar's Portugal (Lisbon, Évora, Óbidos) and in Franco's Spain (Madrid, Toledo, Barcelona, Zaragoza, Santillana del Mar). These are followed by a brief summary of the history of the redevelopment of historical centers in Europe. This volume represents the very first attempt to identify the commonalities and differences in the redevelopment of historical centers in dictatorships in Europe in the first half of the 20th century. |
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| Physical Description: | 191 pages : illustrations (some color), maps, plans ; 31 cm. |
| Bibliography: | Includes bibliographical references and index. |
| ISBN: | 9783869222059 3869222050 |