Spiel-Räume der Demokratie

In the 1950s and 60s, no other country built as many new theaters as West Germany. The post-war building boom was a reaction to the destruction caused by World War II and to the enormous rush of theatregoers at that time. In addition, the competition between the commissioning cities was a driving force. The book traces significance and social relevance of a building type for a new democracy. Prominent architects such as Egon Eiermann and Rudolf Hillebrecht played a major role in the debates and collective negotiations conducted by the media: The role and intentions of the most important theater designers in the Federal Republic of Germany are revealed, including Alvar Aalto, Fritz Bornemann and Gerhard Graubner.

Dr. habil. Frank Schmitz ist Architekturhistoriker und seit 2018 an der Universität Hamburg tätig. Zuvor hatte er eine Gastdozentur an der Freien Universität Berlin und eine Vertretungsprofessur an der Ruhr-Universität Bochum inne.