Zur „Konstruktion der Heimat“ im funktionalistischen Aufb au Hannovers nach 1945 ; „Konstrukcja tradycji” w funkcjonalistycznej odbudowie centrum Hanoweru po 1945 roku

“Th e construction of tradition” in the functionalistic reconstruction of the city centre of Hanover aft er 1945The subject of the article is the reconstruction of Hanover after the serious war damage of the city centre by British bombing raids. The reconstruction project – realized from 1948 by Rudolf Hillebrecht, one of the most famous postwar urban planners in Germany – was considered the realization of functionalism in the planning of towns in West Germany. The reasons were not only scientific foundations and the “technocratic” character of the whole project. In many cases, historical squares and buildings were destroyed without hesitation, and were replaced by traffic arteries. However, it was decided to reconstruct selected monumental buildings, situated in a radically modernized surrounding. The conscious contrast between the old and the new seems to be a reminiscence of the Athens Charter. It is surprising that despite the functionalism of urban planning, the authorities did not forget to create the so-called “island of tradition” (“Traditionsinsel”), which means a sanctuary of historical buildings in the old town. Ironically, this area was not heavily bombed, but it did not comprise too much monumental substance: it was knocked down during the “renovation” of the Old Town in the years 1936–1939. The creation of the “sanctuary of the past” was an effect of political conflicts in the city and on the national level. The project was probably to “compensate” for the destruction of the monuments in other parts of the city. On the other hand, it played a didactic role (in the centre of the “sanctuary” a municipal museum was established) and a symbolic-political function (the partly reconstructed castle became the seat of the parliament of the newly created German state of Lower Saxony). To evaluate this quick and determined reconstruction one should take into consideration some biographical aspects. It turns out that the main architect Rudolf Hillebrecht was surrounded by many urban planners who played major ...