World Heritage Identification Number: 1239
World Heritage since: 2008
Category: Cultural Heritage
WHE Type: Buildings & Architectural Ensembles
Transboundary Heritage: No
Endangered Heritage: No
Country: 🇩🇪 Germany
Continent: Europe
UNESCO World Region: Europe and North America
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Berlin Modernism Housing Estates: A Legacy of Innovative Urban Planning and Architecture
The Berlin Modernism Housing Estates, inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2008, stand as a testament to the progressive social, political, and cultural climate of Berlin during the Weimar Republic (1919–1933). These six subsidized housing estates, each unique in its design and approach, exemplify the building reform movement that aimed to improve housing and living conditions for individuals with lower incomes.
More to come…UNESCO Description of the World Heritage Site
Berlin Modernism Housing Estates. The property consists of six housing estates that testify to innovative housing policies from 1910 to 1933, especially during the Weimar Republic, when the city of Berlin was particularly progressive socially, politically and culturally. The property is an outstanding example of the building reform movement that contributed to improving housing and living conditions for people with low incomes through novel approaches to town planning, architecture and garden design. The estates also provide exceptional examples of new urban and architectural typologies, featuring fresh design solutions, as well as technical and aesthetic innovations. Bruno Taut, Martin Wagner and Walter Gropius were among the leading architects of these projects which exercised considerable influence on the development of housing around the world.
UNESCO Justification of the World Heritage Site
Criterion (ii): The six Berlin housing estates provide an outstanding expression of a broad housing reform movement that made a decisive contribution to improving housing and living conditions in Berlin. Their quality of urban, architectural and garden design, as well as the housing standards developed during the period, served as guidelines for social housing constructed since then, both in and outside Germany.
Criterion (iv): The six Berlin housing estates are exceptional examples of new urban and architectural typologies, designed in the search for improved social living conditions. Fresh design solutions and technical and aesthetic innovations were incorporated by the leading modern architects who participated in their design and construction.
Encyclopedia Record: Berlin Modernism Housing Estates
The Berlin Modernism Housing Estates is a World Heritage Site designated in 2008, comprising six separate subsidized housing estates in Berlin. Dating mainly from the years of the Weimar Republic (1919–1933), when the city of Berlin was particularly progressive socially, politically and culturally, they are outstanding examples of the building reform movement that contributed to improving housing and living conditions for people with low incomes through innovative approaches to architecture and urban planning. The estates also provide exceptional examples of new urban and architectural typologies, featuring fresh design solutions, as well as technical and aesthetic innovations.Additional Site Details
Area: 88.1 hectares
Number of Components: 6
(iv) — Outstanding example of a type of building or landscape
Coordinates: 52.4483333333 , 13.45
