Reconstruction and architecture of the 1950s and 1960s

When American soldiers seized the city on 5 March 1945, more than 90 percent of the old town was destroyed. Although the city planners included the historical topography as far as possible in the reconstruction, the new buildings were mostly erected in modern forms. Renowned architects such as Karl Band, Rudolf Schwarz, Wilhelm Ripahn, Fritz Schaller, Helmut Hentrich, Hubert Petschnig and Gottfried Böhm have thus given the city a new face with their buildings. Some of their works are now listed as historical monuments. On the basis of selected examples of architecture, we would like to show you the tension between old and new buildings in the city centre.