A Social Democratic Utopia and Its Buildings
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A SOCIAL DEMOCRATIC UTOPIA AND ITS BUILDINGS English DIE-NEUE-HEIMAT_English-Booklet_druck.indd 1 04.04.19 17:31 5 8 10 3 4 6 9 11 C III A II I IV B D 1–2 7 12 13 DIE-NEUE-HEIMAT_English-Booklet_druck.indd 2 04.04.19 17:31 14 25 26 27 16 17 21 23 22 24 28 VII i K V G IV VI E F H J 15 19 20 18 31–33 30 29 DIE-NEUE-HEIMAT_English-Booklet_druck.indd 3 04.04.19 17:31 A NEUE HEIMAT (1950–1982) A SOCIAL DEMOCRATIC UTOPIA AND ITS BUILDINGS EUE HEIMAT was the largest and most important non-state housing corporation in post-war Europe. Over a period of more N than thirty years, the union-led company planned and built more than 400,000 apartments and has, from the 1960s onwards, realized nu- merous municipal and commercial buildings in Germany – the majority of which are still standing today. Neue Heimat’s projects can be regarded not only as a result of the entan- gled interplay between economic interests and politics, they were also an expression and reflection of the social history of the Federal Republic of Germany. Over the course of Germany’s ‘economic miracle’, Neue Heimat succeeded in articulating the hope for a better life harboured by broad sec- tions of the population. By implementing large-scale housing complexes which were predominantly conceived as social housing estates, the trade union-led corporation offered an effective tool to alleviate the housing shortage that still prevailed, even two decades after the Second World War had ended. Neue Heimat’s programme was inherently connected to a vision of urban design that formatively influenced social processes: according to Albert Vietor, chairman of Neue Heimat’s management board, “urban devel- opment had to resemble practical politics”, and he described it as a “service to progress”. The scandalous collapse of the corporation in the early 1980s sent shockwaves through West Germany and signalled the end of an era. The buildings constructed by Neue Heimat reflect the developments and de- bates that influenced urban design theories from the 1950s to the 1980s, rang- ing from Hans Bernhard Reichow’s “Organische Stadtbaukunst” (“The Organic Art of Building Cities”), to Alexander Mitscherlich’s criticism of the “inhospita- bleness” of cities, to the call for more urbanity by way of high-density city plan- ning. When it became apparent in the mid-1960s that the steady growth in res- idential construction would reach its limits, the company expanded its sphere of activity. With subsidiaries operating outside the non-profit sector, Neue Hei- mat succeeded in opening up new markets: it planned and built clinics as well as shopping and congress centres, and then became internationally active in countries such as France, Ghana, Mexico, and Venezuela. 4 DIE-NEUE-HEIMAT_English-Booklet_druck.indd 4 04.04.19 17:31 A Ever since the liquidation of Neue Heimat, there has been an instinctive ten- dency to associate the company’s name solely with the negative reception of its large-scale building estates. For a long time, this has hindered a differ- entiated engagement with Neue Heimat’s achievements. Given the dramatic escalation of the current housing market, it is of utmost importance to offer a critical reconsideration and reassessment of Neue Heimat’s legacy: what has become of the – still touted – social democratic vision that promised “housing for all”? This is the first time that the buildings and projects developed by Neue Hei- mat will be exemplarily presented in an architectural exhibition. A significant portion of the materials stems from the collections of the Hamburgisches Architekturarchiv, from collections at the Architekturmuseum TUM, and from WSB Bayern. Numerous newly produced interviews with contempo- rary witnesses document the history of Neue Heimat. Photographs by Her- linde Koelbl depict both residents and buildings of Neuperlach. Ulrike Myrzik and Manfred Jarisch portray the housing estates and large-scale projects from a contemporary perspective. Impressum: An exhibition by the Architekturmuseum TUM and the Hamburgisches Architekturarchiv in cooperation with the Museum für Hamburgische Geschichte. Director: Andres Lepik Curator: Hilde Strobl Graphic: Hannes Aechter, Berlin Exhibition Architecture: José Ramos, Berlin Assistence: Sina Brückner-Amin, Anna List Hamburgisches Architekturarchiv: Ullrich Schwarz with Norbert Baues and Karl H. Hoffmann Translations: Jennifer Leetsch 5 DIE-NEUE-HEIMAT_English-Booklet_druck.indd 5 04.04.19 17:31 B THE HOUSING CORPORATION NEUE HEIMAT CHRONOLOGY 27.5.1926 ment and trust company of the German Fed- The union-led Gemeinnützige Kleinwohnungs- eration of Trade Unions. The Advisory Board baugesellschaft Groß-Hamburg mbH (GKB) of Trustees becomes a Supervisory Board. is entered into the commercial register Election of Albin Karl, member of the 1933 managing federal board of the DGB, and All trade union assets are ousted. GKB is Mathias Terhorst, managing director of the forcibly integrated into the German Labour investment and trust company of the DGB. Front (DAF) and renamed Neue Heimat 18.2.1953 Gemeinnützige Wohnungs- und Siedlungs- Neue Heimat Bremen Gemeinnützige gesellschaft mbH. Wohnungs- und Siedlungsgesellschaft 1945 mbH, Bremen (GEWOBA) is integrated After the end of the war, Neue Heimat is into the company. placed under Allied trusteeship as a “former SINCE 1954 NSDAP asset”. Wilhelm Radlof is appointed Decision of the DGB Federal Executive supervisory and managing trustee. Committee to incorporate all housing in- 2,000 of the 4,300 apartments built by dustry holdings into Neue Heimat Hamburg. Neue Heimat were destroyed in the war. Further integration of housing development 1.1.1950 companies from all federal states and Change of leadership at Neue Heimat Ham- larger cities followed in the next few years burg: Heinrich Plett becomes managing (see corporate structure) –the last being director, Albert Vietor commercial manager, GEWOBAG Gemeinnützige Siedlungsbau- and Walter Beyn technical manager. gesellschaft mbH, Frankfurt am Main, in 1960. 12.5.1950 1954 Neue Heimat takes over the construction Foundation of the company magazine company Hansa mbH, Hamburg (later “Neue Heimat. Monatshefte für first called Neues Heim Gemeinnützige neuzeitlichen Wohnungsbau.” Wohnungsbaugesellschaft mbH, 1.1.1960 and then Neue Heimat Nord). Due to the integration of regional com- 16.5.1950 panies, Neue Heimat now comprises 27 Neue Heimat acquires the stock company subsidiaries and a housing stock of 110,000 for Gemeinnütziger Kleinwohnungsbau apartments. (AGEKA), Hamburg. 2.5.1962 29.5.1952 Foundation of Gewerbebauträger GmbH, The trade union audit committee for the Hamburg, which enables the company British zone decides to apportion all Neue to operate beyond its non-profit obligations. Heimat union assets (which had until then It is limited to the construction of shopping been controlled by the allies) to the invest- centres. 6 DIE-NEUE-HEIMAT_English-Booklet_druck.indd 6 04.04.19 17:31 13.11.1962 1978 Foundation of the Gesellschaft Neue Heimat Nordrhein-Westfalen begins B Neue Heimat International (NHI), to expand to sell apartments to insurance companies, the market abroad. investors and tenants. 14.1.1963 8.2.1982 Heinrich Plett dies. Albert Vietor becomes The magazine “Der Spiegel” publicises new Chairman of the Executive Board. the “Neue Heimat scandal”. 1.8.1963 1983 Foundation of the Gesellschaft für Neue Heimat Städtebau intends to sell all Wohnungswesen e. V. (GEWOS) with real estate at home and abroad. The trade seat in Hamburg. It is conductive union-owned BGAG acquires the majority to scientific pre-investigation of urban of Neue Heimat. development projects. 1986 8.10.1963 A trustee handles Neue Heimat and sells In Berlin-Spandau, the 200,000th its real estate holdings to the Berlin baker Neue Heimat apartment is handed over Horst Schiesser for the symbolic price of to its tenant. one DM. Because the banks do not support Schiesser, he has to transfer the property 9.4.1964 back after 2 months. Foundation of Neue Heimat Kommunal Gesellschaft zum Bau öffentlicher The German Bundestag sets up the Investi- und sozialer Einrichtungen mbH, Hamburg. gation Committee Neue Heimat. 15.12.1967 Planned dissolution of Neue Heimat In Hamburg-Osdorf, the 300,000th within 3 years. Neue Heimat sells entire Neue Heimat apartment is handed over to regional companies to the Beteiligungs- its tenant. gesellschaft für Gemeinwirtschaft 13.6.1969 (BGAG). Neue Heimat Städtebau GmbH Hamburg 1987 (NHS) is founded by the German Regional companies sell the properties to Confederation of Trade Unions (DGB) state governments and to municipal and and 13 of its affiliated individual regional private housing companies: the City of trade unions. Original share capital: Bremen takes over Neue Heimat Bremen DM 10,000,000. (GEWOBA), the Landesentwicklungs- 11.7.1969 gesellschaft Foundation of Gesellschaft für North Rhine-Westphalia acquires Industrieansiedlung mbH, Hamburg Neue Heimat NRW, the City of Hamburg (holding company of Neue Heimat purchases Neue Heimat Nord, and the Städtebau Hamburg). Doblinger Group buys Neue Heimat 5.5.1971 Bayern. MEDIPLAN Krankenhausplanungs- 1991 gesellschaft mbH, Munich is acquired by An investigative committee implemented Neue Heimat Städtebau. by the Hamburg citizenry concludes that 14.6.1976 Neue Heimat has misappropriated DM 200 The share capital of Neue Heimat Städte- million of charitable funds. The liquidation bau GmbH, Hamburg is increased from of Neue Heimat cost the unions around DM 40,000,000 to DM 60,000,000. DM 1 billion. 7 DIE-NEUE-HEIMAT_English-Booklet_druck.indd 7 04.04.19 17:31 HAMBURG NH ADMINISTRATION On the occasion of the company’s anniversary in 1960, Neue Heimat sum- marised its rise to success in their monthly magazine (“Monatsheft”) as follows: “Starting out in a barrack, 10 years ago Neue Heimat Hamburg ini- tiated a large-scale residential construction program of more than 100,000 apartments, which culminated and exceeded itself in the form of the [Ham- burg-Hohenfelde] skyscraper”.