'Realisers. The Rise of Architects between Crisis and Reconstruction. Central Europe 1910-1950 (Dilthey-fellowship-VolkswagenStiftung).

The project looks at the group of modernist architects, as it emerged around the First World War. Rather than focusing on architectural styles the project is interested in architects as technical experts. Geographically the focus is on Central Europe, paying particular attention to those states reshaped or brought about after World War I in Central Eastern Europe. In these states it is particularly visible how modernist architects exerted influence far beyond the field of building itself. The historically unique situation of several newly emerging states promises particular insights in the relation of experts, state and society. These new states relied on modernist architects to shape their new capital cities and to build the infrastructures for their new agendas in health and housing. In this, the architects became decisive players in areas critical for the legitimacy of these states. This was not confined to building and planning itself but included providing the modernist symbolic dimension, the new players on the international scene desired. Thus, the modernist architects acted in between national and international agendas. This is also true for their professional organization. The dramatic tasks at home served the architects in question to improve their international standing, while international reputation lifted their position in their own countries.

Keywords:Modernization, Poland, Interwar, Warsaw, Experts, Architects

Disciplines:History