ABSTRACT

By the 1930s over two-thirds of Germans lived in towns and cities, and those who did not found themselves inexorably affected by the ever-growing urban vortex. The German Urban Experience 1900 - 1945 surveys the social and cultural history of Germany in this crucial period through written, visual and oral sources. Focusing on urbanism as one of the major forces of change, this book presents a wide range of archive sources, many available for the first time, as well as film scenes, literature and art.
Exploring the German experience of 'urbanism as a way of life' in cities from Berlin and Dresden to Hamburg and Leipzig, this book discusses:
the concept of the urban experience
the development of urban infrastructure and transport
the social conditions of the urban poor
health and the effects of the city on the body
production and commerce in German cities
the city as a challenge to traditional gender hierarchies

chapter 1|7 pages

Introduction

‘Urbanism as a way of life'

chapter 3|31 pages

Metropolis

From imagining to planning the city

chapter 4|32 pages

‘Slum'

Encounters with the urban ‘other'

chapter 5|32 pages

Rehabilitating the urban body

chapter 6|35 pages

Capitals of consumption

chapter 7|33 pages

Tempo of the city, map of the nation

chapter 8|36 pages

Masculine women and feminine men

chapter 9|12 pages

Files and fingerprints

Indexing the city

chapter 10|4 pages

Conclusion

City Vaterland