ABSTRACT
This chapter considers the long story of reconstruction following the destruction of the Second World War, from replanning through to rebuilding, the subsequent use and adaptation of what was built, and whether today, seven decades later, it should be considered as heritage. Examples are drawn from across Europe, although the detailed research upon which the chapter draws is based on UK documentary sources. The history relates to a complex multi-stage process. It begins with producing and communicating reconstruction plans. The second stage was implementation: the rebuilding itself. This “reconstruction era” came to an abrupt end with the 1973 Middle East conflict and oil crisis. The third stage, of use and adaptation from 1973 to the present, includes evaluation and redevelopment, and consideration of whether the surviving areas and structures from this period might merit retention and protection, becoming part of an “authorized heritage discourse”.
