Modern Architecture East vs West Socialist vs Capitalist

“Can you tell whether you are in East or West Berlin based on the buildings?” Is one of the most common question asked by guests. The answer is more complicated than you might think. There are some places in former East Berlin where the architecture is clearly socialist. Along the former Stalin Allee for example, you can trace the journey of socialist architecture from the unexpected classicism of Stalin’s time to the later, prefabricated, concrete, high-rises. The socialists did not, however, have the monopoly on utilitarian, practical buildings. Many superstars of modern architecture in the capitalist world, such as Martin Gropius, Le Corbusier and Oscar Niemeyer left their mark on West Berlin with buildings that are often mistaken to be socialist because of their appearance. Let’s trace the East vs West, socialist vs capitalist battle as it played out in the modern architecture of Berlin. Sites include the former Stalinallee and Hansaviertal or Kottbusser Tor.

• Itinerary
• Inclusions
• Exclusions