Single People and Mass Housing in Germany, 1850-1930: (No)Home Away from Home

Single People and Mass Housing in Germany, 1850-1930 challenges traditional notions of housing reform by examining the role of single-person mass housing in German architectural culture and society. These homes, designed by both unknown craftsmen and renowned architects, were built for various powerful interest groups and fought unregimented lodging in overcrowded working-class dwellings. They effectively bridged the public-private divide and rewrote the rules of who was deserving of quality housing, pointing forward to building programs of Weimar Berlin, Red Vienna, Soviet Russia, Feminist collectives, and accommodations for postwar "guestworkers" and the elderly today.

Format: Hardback
Length: 304 pages
Publication date: 14 January 2021
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC

Unsettling conventional perceptions of housing reform as narrowly centered on the nuclear family with dependent children, Single People and Mass Housing in Germany, 1850-1930 emerges as the pioneering exploration of single-person mass housing in Germany, shedding light on its profound impact for over 80 years within German architectural culture, society, the transnational Progressive reform movement, Feminist discourse, and International Modernism. These homes, known as Ledigenheime, were constructed for nearly every influential interest group in Germany, spanning from the mid-nineteenth century to the 1920s. Designed by both anonymous craftsmen and renowned architects, including figures like Peter Behrens and Bruno Taut, these dwellings served as both a means to combat unregulated lodging in overcrowded working-class dwellings and as tools of moral and social control. Functioning as a conduit for societal reintegration, Ledigenheime effectively bridged the divide between public and private domains, reshaping the criteria for accessing quality housing. This transformative impact can be observed in the building programs of Weimar Berlin and Red Vienna, experimental housing initiatives in Soviet Russia, Feminist collectives, accommodations for postwar "guestworkers," and even contemporary housing for the elderly. Through its comprehensive examination, Single People and Mass Housing in Germany, 1850-1930 offers a fresh perspective on the historical significance of single-person mass housing, highlighting its enduring relevance in shaping the architectural, social, and cultural landscape of Germany and beyond.

Weight: 842g
Dimension: 162 x 240 x 28 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781501342721