Homeland protection architecture
- Reception of a traditionalist architectural language in the German states in the first half of the 20th century
Doctoral candidate: Lilian Kraft, M. Sc.
Supervisor: Prof. Eva von Engelberg-Dočkal
As part of her current dissertation project, Lilian Kraft is researching the reception of "Heimatschutzarchitektur" in the German states from 1900 to the post-war period - from the beginnings to the loss of significance of the architectural language in the 1950s. The work is thus based on the premise that so-called Heimatschutzarchitektur is an architectural phenomenon that can be recognized by means of factors inherent to architecture.
The traditionalist architectural language has been practiced on a large scale since the end of the 19th century, not only in the German states, but also in France and Switzerland, for example, where it is often perceived positively today. In Germany, on the other hand, it is often overlooked in favor of the avant-garde "Neues Bauen" that emerged at the same time. In addition, numerous conservative to politically right-wing representatives of this architectural language during the German Empire and the "Third Reich" continue to create a negative image today. The aim of the study is to enable a differentiated reassessment of the architectural quality of "Heimatschutzarchitektur" and to shed light on its contribution to architectural history.