Eisenhuettenstadt - first "socialist residential town" (former GDR)

Eisenhuettenstadt (East Germany, former GDR)? Certainly barren prefabricated buildings stretching to the horizon in front of a decommissioned ironworks. We cultivate our prejudices.

In the early 1950s, the GDR founded the first "socialist residential town" as Stalinstadt. The "labourers" of the Ironworks Combine East (EKO) were to live here. The architects designed the socialist "ideal city" entirely on the green table.

In the 1950s to 1960s, construction workers in eastern Brandenburg built the housing complexes I to IV. Eisenhuettenstadt was planned for 30,000 people; at its peak, 50,000 lived there.

With the fall of the Berlin Wall, the steelworks began to flounder and plunged the town into an economic crisis. Eisenhuettenstadt shrank to 23,000 inhabitants. Young people in particular turned their backs on the town.

The administration is trying to counteract this and is renovating the early GDR housing estates.

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Lindenallee Eisenhuettenstadt (East Germany, former GDR)

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Friedrich-Wolf-Theater​

The theatre was built in the stately classicist style, but the GDR architects then abandoned it.

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Mosaic mural​

The mural "Work for Peace" was designed by the artist Walter Womacka for a façade in Lindenallee.

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Hotel Lunik
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The Hotel Lunik, small moon, stands empty and is visibly decaying. An investor bought it and is waiting for better times.

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Former IFA car pavilion​

In GDR times, the latest and almost unattainable car models were presented here. Today the pavilion is waiting for new ideas...

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Shops and apartment block in Lindenallee​
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Follows part 2
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Best regars, Uli

Part 2 "Eisenhuettenstadt

The following are some examples of renovated apartment blocks from the 1950s in Eisenhuettenstadt (East Germany, former GDR)
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Housing complex II​

The houses in residential complexes I-IV were built of stone in the 1950s and 1960s. Prefabricated buildings did not exist at that time. Neither had the technology been developed, nor were there heavy-duty cranes that could have lifted the masses so soon after World War II.
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Grill station​

With the slopes and projecting roof, typical architecture of a grill station
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Housing complex I​

The houses of Housing Complex I were built of brick in the early 50s. Still simple in style, but offset fronts and some French balconies. The wall mosaic shows a socialist family.
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Square of Remembrance​

Square of Remembrance with the Soviet memorial. Under the obelisk lie the bones of more than 4000 Soviet prisoners of war. The big marches and rallies took place on this square.
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Passage​

Passage to the courtyards in the residential complex II
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Inner courtyard​

To our surprise, the courtyards of the housing complexes are wide, airy and planted with greenery. The renovated housing complexes (housing complexes I - IV) were built in the 50th before the prefab era. They show an independent architecture, which largely disappeared in the industrial prefab construction.
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Best regards, Uli

Eisenhuettenstadt part 3 and ending

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Facade​


The architects break up the front of the houses with staggered facades, window projections and passages. Depending on the position of the sun, the relief of the houses changes.
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Restaurant "Aktivist
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Small pubs or cafes were rare in the GDR. Instead, large gastronomic facilities were built in central places. Here the renovated restaurant "Aktivist".
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Restaurant "Activist
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The interior of the restaurant was also restored according to old plans.
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Former Yuri Gagarin Secondary School​


The large former Juri-Gagarin Secondary School is empty and decaying. Here, too, an investor and ideas are being sought.
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Globe​


At the globe to touch you can feel the world. The sculpture was located by a kindergarten, which was closed due to lack of children. The average age of the population was about 28 years at the time of the GDR in the city, today it is about 52 years.
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Eisenhuettenstadt​
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The architecture of the housing complexes I - IV in Eisenhuettenstadt is rather unusual for the GDR. It cannot be compared with the later industrially produced prefabricated buildings,

Eisenhuettenstadt was the state's first showcase urban development project in the early 1950s. GDR Planners and architects completely redesigned the place according to socialist ideas.

In spite of all the material shortages after World War II, they tried to pay attention to quality in planning and construction. The prestige building was supposed to show: This is how socialism builds.

Today, this phase is almost forgotten. The city is trying to preserve the apartments and their architecture from the early days of the GDR. In the absence of economic power, this is a difficult project.


Best regards, Uli