Typenschulbau in der DDR

This thesis traces the development of type school construction in the GDR between 1949 and 1989. For a long time, type school buildings were considered structurally inferior relics of a dictatorship, and architectural qualities were largely overlooked. In the meantime, however, modern architecture from the east is increasingly recognized as a cultural heritage. The type school buildings embody the concept of progress as a tool to legitimize the state changing over time, as well as its perception and interpretation by architects in the GDR. The ideal of a predictable social progress based on scientific and technical knowledge was the basis for standardization and typification in the construction industry and at the same time was to be conveyed through polytechnic education in schools. In their spatial organization and positioning in the urban planning of the GDR, the school buildings reflect the social norm of their time, which was negotiated at the national and local level.Although the concept of type school building can rightly be seen as an instrument of state power with a repressive claim to education, emancipatory moments are recognizable in its history. The mass construction of schools served to enable all children to receive an equivalent education, regardless of the places and families they came from. Stakeholders organized in institutions of politics, education, research and planning shaped the development of school building concepts in their own way and often represented divergent positions. In practice, type school buildings were the result of complex negotiation processes in which local people could be involved. This resulted in an impressive range of different design approaches, spatial and design concepts, which are documented in this thesis and can still be experienced today in the preserved buildings. The analysis of the lines of development and characteristics provides a basis for the evaluation of type school buildings by the preservation of historical monuments.

Dissertation: https://hdl.handle.net/11370/e50d76b9-7066-4e06-9717-799b848fde55