Industrial Culture in Berlin

Urban History, Conservation and Adaptive Reuses.

Ehemaliges Feuerwerkslaboratorium

Industrial culture is not only about identity and memory, traditions, and labor movements; it belongs to cities, sites and their transformations. Beyond being cultural heritage, historic industrial buildings complexes and infrastructures are an issue in planning. Subsequently, conservation of industrial heritage sites requires rethinking in the context of urban change, and the issue of how to balance protection, preservation/conservation, and development becomes all the more crucial as industrial heritage sites grow in number. This brings into play new challenges—not only through the known conflicts between conservation and contemporary architecture, but also with the increasing demand for economic urban development by reusing the built heritage of former industrial sites. Furthermore, industrial heritage sites give evidence in regard to urban history, history of architecture and technology as well as industrial culture. 

The seminar aims at deepening the understanding of the values and inventories describing and defining industrial heritage sites.

Field Trip-Seminar

Target group:  6 participants Bachelor / 6 participants Master Architecture

Obligations: Presentation on site (in English), term paper (in English or German), and attendance at all field trips

Format and dates:

Introduction (Weimar): April 9, Tuesday 11.00 a.m. (Room-Nr. 111), Obligatory registration: latest April, Field Trip (Berlin): May 10 - 11, Friday, Saturday; May 17 - 18, Friday, Saturday, Discussion (Weimar): May 28, Tuesday

Literature will be provided in English and German:

  • Oevermann, Heike / Mieg, Harald A. (Edt.) Industrial Heritage Sites in Transformation. Clash of Discourses. New York, 2015.

All students have to organise travel and accommodation on their own.