In the View of Others: Berlin The International Discourse on European Post-war Modernism | Saturday

Programme for Saturday, 7 November

1.00 pm–8.30 pm

The event will be held in English, with AI-assisted simultaneous interpretation into German.

1.00 pm

Thematic introduction, including a wrap-up of Day 1

Sandra Wagner-Conzelmann, Thomas Flierl, Paul Sigel, Robert K. Huber

1.30 pm–3.45 pm

I. Berlin as a reference point for post-war European modernism?

Introduction and moderation: Sandra Wagner-Conzelmann / Thomas Flierl

1.30 pm

Research reports

Laura Bowie: Country report: Great Britain

Nils Exner: Country report on Sweden

Aleksandra Podlejska: Country report on Poland

2.30 pm

Panel discussion with brief research reports

Melinda Harlov Csortán: Country report on Hungary

Paul Sigel: Country report on France

Followed by a panel discussion, moderated by Robert K. Huber

3.45 pm

Break (Café)

4.15–6.30 pm

II. Media, Strategies, Encounters – Cross-block Reception?

Introduction and moderation: Robert K. Huber / Paul Sigel

4.15 pm

Research reports

Thomas Flierl: Country Report: Soviet Union

Sandra Wagner-Conzelmann: Country Report: Italy

5.00 pm

Panel discussion with brief research reports

Laura Bowie: Country report on the USA

Éadaoin Weisz Quinn: Country report on Denmark

Jelica Jovanović: Country report on Yugoslavia

Followed by a panel discussion, moderated by Paul Sigel

6.30 pm

Interval

7.00 pm

Got to Choose: Spit It Out or Swallow It*

Dialogues on Difficult Heritage in Ukraine

Lecture performance – DENEDE (Alex Bykov, Yevheniia Moliar, Monoconda)

*Quote from the song ‘Spit It Out or Swallow It’ by Khamerman Destroys Viruses (Хамерман Знищує Віруси)

8.00 pm

Closing Remarks / Outlook

The international conference ‘Im Blick der Anderen. In the View of Others: Berlin. The International Discourse on European Postwar Modernism’ is dedicated to the international media reception of post-war modernism during the Cold War – taking as its starting point reports on Karl-Marx-Allee in former East Berlin and the buildings of Interbau 1957 in former West Berlin.

Architectural and urban historiography has generally used the political bloc formation following the Second World War as a key frame of reference for depicting the reconstruction debates of post-war modernism. This approach, however, overlooked the question of the extent to which prominent reconstruction projects were also received across the blocs, and the extent to which they contributed to the respective discourses on modernism in architecture and urban planning in the reporting countries.

The research project, funded by the Berlin State Office for the Preservation of Historical Monuments from February 2023 until June 2025, has produced a comprehensive overview of cross-bloc reporting on Karl-Marx-Allee I and II and the Interbau. Research was carried out in ten countries for this purpose. The USA, England, France, Italy and Denmark were selected to represent the Western ‘bloc’. The ‘Eastern Bloc’ is represented by the USSR, Poland and Hungary; Sweden and Yugoslavia represent the non-aligned and neutral states.

Extensive research was carried out in each of these countries, drawing on specialist journals, daily newspapers and contemporary publications. The conference papers present the findings of this research, some of which are highly surprising. The academic presentations are complemented by a film programme curated by Florian Wüst and a lecture performance by the Ukrainian group DENEDE.

A project by the research group comprising Dr Sandra Wagner-Conzelmann, Dr Thomas Flierl, Dr Paul Sigel and Robert K. Huber, in cooperation with the Architecture Section of the Academy of Arts

Funded by the Wüstenrot Foundation and in cooperation with the Berlin State Office for the Preservation of Historical Monuments and ETOM NEB Lab