Stimmann's City: Work and Impact

The two-day event is dedicated to the work and legacy of Hans Stimmann (1941–2025), the long-serving Director of Building and State Secretary of the Berlin Senate, whose influence continues to shape the development of reunified Berlin to this day. Organized in cooperation between the AIV and the Senate Department for Urban Development, Construction, and Housing, the conference reflects on the urban planning principles, political debates, and planning decisions that have shaped the capital since German reunification. At the same time, it explores what guidance this legacy can offer for the future of Berlin and the European city.

Just a few weeks before the Berlin House of Representatives election, prominent representatives from the fields of architecture, urban planning, politics, academia, and culture will discuss the significance of Stimmann’s work for Berlin and the future of the European city. Participants include, among others (in alphabetical order): Jens Bisky, Prof. Dr. Harald Bodenschatz, Georg Garlichs, Ephraim Gothe, Volker Hassemer, Dieter Hoffmann-Axthelm, Franz-Josef Höing, Prof. Petra Kahlfeldt, Hans Kollhoff, Ulla Luther, Christoph Mäckler, Silvia Malcovati, Philipp Meuser, Gernot G. Moegelin, Birgit Rapp, Simon Strauß, Peter Strieder, Hannes Swoboda, Hilmar von Lojewski. An evening reception at the Rotes Rathaus, hosted by Christian Gaebler, Senator for Urban Development, Construction, and Housing, will round out the conference.

Hans Stimmann embodied the idea of the European city like few others. With the “Planwerk Innenstadt” (Downtown Master Plan), he set standards for Berlin’s development after reunification and had a lasting influence on debates about density, urbanity, building culture, and the role of the public sector. The conference takes his legacy as an opportunity to discuss current issues in urban planning, land policy, and municipal responsibility within an international context.

Tobias Nöfer, AIV board member and co-curator of the event: “Hans Stimmann viewed the city as both a cultural project and a political task. He was convinced that the city’s form is the result of conscious societal decisions. The conference explores what guidance his positions can offer for the challenges facing the city of tomorrow.”

• Date: September 3 and 4, 2026
• Time: Starts at 11:00 a.m. on both days
• Location: ESMT Berlin, Schlossplatz 1, 10178 Berlin

Curators: Thomas Albrecht, Harald Bodenschatz, Silvia Malcovati, Michael Mönninger, Tobias Nöfer, Markus Tubbesing, Gerwin Zohlen

(Language: German)

Participation is free of charge.

To register, please contact: HERE