National Tensions between the Soviets and the Nazi’s through Architecture
The 1937 Paris Exposition Internationale des Arts et Techniques dans la Vie Moderne
An example of the architecture Hitler strived for can be seen in the 1937 Paris exposition. The task given to the 45 invited countries was to create a pavilion representing their ideas for a new style of architecture. Most of these pavilions were devoted to the cinema, to radio, light, the railway, flight, refrigeration, and printing (Culturedarm, 2018). Germany, the Soviet Union, and Italy all took this opportunity to present their national and political stances through their architecture. However, the German pavilion was located directly opposite the Soviet Union’s pavilion and
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Germany placed a small golden eagle atop their pavilion, whilst the Soviet Union pavilion displayed a large sculpture of a man and a woman holding a sickle and hammer; the symbol of communism. To counter the Soviet’s large sculpture, Albert Speer (Hitler’s chief architect) emphasised the verticality of Germany’s pavilion as if he were creating a wall which the Soviet sculpture could not pass. It can be seen in Figure 1, that the German pavilion is slightly taller than the Soviet Union’s. It also had a more imposing form due to its height and width. Speer described his pavilion as a cubic mass which embodied stout pillars to stop the triumphant stride of the Soviet Union’s figures toward the German pavilion (P. 397, Geyer and Fitzpatrick, …show more content…
Utopia - “An imagined place or state of things in which everything is perfect.”
A utopia is an individual’s vision and perception of a perfect society and architecture. However; an individual cannot design a utopia for a group of people because that utopia will only suit the individual. Karl Marx and Friedrich Hayek state that utopianism demands the removal of an individual to have a clear contextual consideration and understanding of rationality (Sciabarra, 1995, P.19-20). However, this is impossible to do and therefore a utopia can often be viewed as a dystopia. Conversely, Eberhard Zeidler suggests that a utopian city can only be realised in a society that has a totalitarian political system to enforce the changes (Zeidler, 1985, P.143) and thus, worked in favor of Mussolini, Stalin and Hitler.
The Three
Utopia is any state, condition, or place of ideal perfection. In Ursula LeGuin's short story "The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas" the city of Omelas is described as a utopia. "The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas" presents a challenge of conscience for anyone who chooses to live in Omelas.
Imagine a place where everything is perfect. There is a place where there is no warfare, where all. All politics, laws, customs, and traditions are respected. A place where there is sameness among all the citizens and everyone is content and happy. This place would be considered a utopia.
Throughout history, architecture has been employed in the service of politics, as symbols of the state. Architecture is therefore shaped by the national traditions in the pursuit of projects of identity, modernity, power, and prestige. A building is not merely a walled structure, but a metaphor for national ideology as it embodies the civic life of the citizens that it houses, as well as the ideals of the nation within which it resides. This paper will explore three varying architectural periods and examine the interaction between nationalism and the building styles that developed either as a means to express it.
For many, the fall of the wall proved the triumph of capitalism over communism. East German communist leaders were forced out of office. Negotiations began for the complete reunification of Germany. West German Chancellor H. Kohl assured the world that a united Germany would be no threat to peace. In October 1990, he became the first Chancellor of a reunited Germany. The construction of the Berlin wall in Germany between the 13th of August 1961 – 1989 increased tensions to a significant extent as it was a sign of dominance portrayed by the USSR, was a follow up from the Bay of pigs and U2 spy plane crisis and the US were trying to combat the USSR by setting up the Berlin airlift and demanding peace in the east. The Berlin Wall was arguably the greatest source of tension during the Cold War due to the many significant events happening before and after the construction of the wall. Finally, the construction of the Berlin Wall created significant tensions between the two superpowers, USSR and the USA, which developed into other tensions arising in the Cold War Period. I have analysed the topic ‘To what extent did the construction of the Berlin Wall increase tensions during the Cold War period’ and developed 3 strong body paragraphs that support my
In all, both the Glasgow Art Building and the Goldman-Schwartz Art Building have a surprising number of similarities. Although they are located on two different continents, the styles are remarkably similar especially considering their function. Their similar goals to promote creativity by designing an open and free environment are perhaps, the most significant and interesting features of the structures. By comparing these features, it gives an indication of the serious dedication to art that has existed across the world regardless of history.
The dictionary definition of utopia is “a theoretical "perfect" realm, in which everyone is content, where things get done well by people who are happy to do them, and where all the problems which have plagued our world for millennia no longer apply.” My definition of utopia is a “world” where everything is perfect and there are no issues or conflicts of any kind. Utopias also usually turn into dystopias. The dictionary definition of dystopia is “an imagined place or state in which everything is unpleasant or bad, typically a totalitarian or environmentally degraded one.” My definition of a dystopia is a “place” where there is only chaos and disorder.
In an effort to ensure this memorial museum was meaningful, Mr. James Ingo Freed was chosen. Not only was he educated in this field, but was a survivor with his own personal experiences during this horrific time period. Freed was born in Essen, Germany in 1930. At the age of eight, James and his younger sister were removed from their home and sent to Chicago where they were later joined by their parents. James studied architecture at the Illinois Institute of Technology, and received his bachelor’s degree in 1953. In later years, Mr. Freed taught at major institutions such as Cooper Union, Cornell University, Rhode Island School of Design, Columbia University, and Yale University. He was also the Dean of the College of Architecture, Planning, and Design at the Illinois Institute of Technology (“Holocaust Encyclopedia”). One’s work ethic can be greatly influenced due to their emotional state of mind on certain topics; therefore, James was an excellent candidate that had personal ties to this museum...
"Monument proposal draws criticism Design's appearance called similar to that of Nazi architecture." The Baltimore Sun. N.p., 22 June 1997. Web. 5 Apr. 2011. .
The oxford dictionary describes as “an imagined place or state of things in which everything is perfect. Sir Thomas More first used this word; he was born in 1478 in London, England and came to be one of the most influential figures of the early Renaissance. Not only did he work as a lawyer but he was also a well respected philosopher and historian as well as writer. In 1516, Moore wrote Utopia, a book based off of fiction and political philosophy. Utopia has been with us since the beginning of time – all religions for example has an idea of a perfect place; the Garden of Eden and paradise are examples within the Catholic religion. When Moore first created the word for a book entitles Utopia, the word itself is derived for the Greek ju meaning ‘no’ and toʊpiə meaning ‘place’ therefore the literal translation would be ‘no place.’ However, it could also mean ‘good place’ as eu(topia) means good(place). This idea of no place and good place juxtapose each other and also arise the concept of an ‘ideal’ place being elsewhere – out of the reach of human beings – or just does not exist.
In the nineteenth century, man believed in the perfectibility of mankind and in the real possibility of an ultimate utopia, a time when man could all live together in peace. However, the events of the twentieth century have weakened that belief. Both cold and hot wars have followed each other in succession. Revolutions and civil wars have taken place and totalitarianism has become a fact that can hardly be ignored. Therefore, the modern age has become a time in which more anti-utopias have been envisioned than ever before.
It was commissioned by the German government as a representation of the new German Republic after the devastation of World War I. What Mies van der Rohe designed was a modern masterpiece that was the embodiment of the new democratic and progressive Germany. A smaller pool lays adjacent to the building on the opposite side, enclosed by a wall of marble. Mies designed the pavilion to blur the lines between inside and outside space.
The Utopia Reader defines the word utopia as “a nonexistent society described in detail and normally located in time and space.” (p.1) I would best define utopia as a fictional dream- paradise land where everything is peaceful, perfect and all runs smoothly. There is no crime disease, or pain. People are happy, kind and fair and have each other’s best
Kappen learned about many important historical events and lessons. Mr. Kappen believes that the most important lesson he learned is about leaving physical reminders of events in history, even ones that aren’t good, to remind everyone not to repeat history. About the symbolism of the Berlin wall, relating to this lesson, he said, “Sections of the Berlin Wall were left standing as a physical reminder of what happens when the government has absolute control (Kappen).” A major difference between the United States and Germany that Mr. Kappen mentioned relates to the memorials that stand in Germany. He said, “Memorials still stand as a physical reminder of what happened, to remind the German people to learn about and recognize mistakes from history so they are not repeated.
Utopia, a term that appeared in the 16th century, was invented by Sir Thomas More in 1516. Many define utopia to be an idealistic and utterly perfect society. However, theoretically, utopia has nearly perfect qualities, not exactly perfect. In history, there has not been any specific record of a utopian society existing and there has been controversy on that it will never exist. However, a utopian society is possible because a utopia does not necessarily need to be absolutely perfect, society can come together and put aside its differences, and because the people learn how to improve situations that can happen or have happened.
An impractical scheme for social improvement. This is the third definition of the word utopia in the Mirriam-Webster dictionary. Anatole France says it best with this quote regarding utopian societies, „Without the Utopias of other times, men would still live in caves, miserable and naked. It was Utopians that traced the lines of the first city· Out of generous dreams come beneficial realities. Utopia is the principle of all progress, and the essay into a better future.„ The world has been constantly changing over time, new ideas pave paths that lead to better living. Most of the ideas are expressed through science fiction stories written by authors looking to change the world in some way or another. Authors begin with an idea, and then move towards placement of thought and scheme into somewhat of a reasonable reality. Authors such as Charlotte Perkins Gilman and Octavia Butler use the stories they write as ways to express their problems that they have with the present world. Advances in the present day world can only be reached through dreams and desires. These dreams and desires come to life as authors present their ideas on paper.