Duet of Modernism

Good and affordable housing for everyone was a central concern of modernist architecture. This applied to the planning of Stalinallee in Berlin (East) around 1950, the first "Socialist Street" and later Karl-Marx-Allee, as well as to the new Hansaviertel in Berlin (West), which was presented in 1957 as part of the Interbau.


Bettina Cohnen photographed in the famous residential areas of Berlin's post-war modernism. In eight series of images with over 80 shots, she shows the apartments in all their diversity, complexity and intimacy: a photographic commentary on everyday life in an environment that is much discussed today. At the same time, the photographer traces the ideas of the respective architects.


The streets in whose place the modern building projects were built from the mid-1950s onwards were largely destroyed in the Second World War. The removal of rubble was accompanied by extensive documentation by the Berlin magistrate, Senate and district offices, accompanied by photographers. These images are now kept in various Berlin collections, including the Berlin State Archives and the Mitte Museum.


The exhibition was created in collaboration with the building culture platform THE LINK. It takes place as part of EMOP Berlin, Germany's largest biennial photo festival. The festival with the motto "what stands between us" will take place in its eleventh edition from March 1 to 31, 2025.


PROGRAM

Opening

Thu, March 6, 2025, 6 p.m.

Speakers: Jan Dimog and Hendrik Bohle (curators), Bettina Cohnen (photographer and artist), Nathan Friedenberg (museum director and head of the department of memory culture and history).

Followed by a book release of “Duett der Moderne” and a discussion with Dr. Ursula Kleefisch-Jobst (Forum Baukultur Nordrhein-Westfalen), Karen Grunow (art historian and journalist), Dr. Christoph Rauhut (Head of the State Monument Office Berlin), moderated by Marie Bruun Yde (editor of the magazine “Bauwelt”)

Admission: free

Registration: not required


Accompanying program


Guided tour of the exhibition with the artist Bettina Cohnen and Sigrid Schulze (Mitte Museum)

Fri, March 7th, 4:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. and Fri, March 28th, 4:30 p.m. to 6 p.m.

Admission: free

Registration: not required


City tours

offered as part of the EMOP by THE LINK, with the citizens’ associations STALINBAUTEN e.V., Neighborhood Council KMA II e.V. and Hansaviertel e.V. for 8-10€ per Person


Between Frankfurter Tor and Strausberger Platz: guided tour through Karl-Marx-Allee / 1st construction phase, with Achim Bahr (Citizens' Association STALINBAUTEN e.V.)

Sat, March 15th, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.; meeting point: House Karl-Marx-Allee 100

Admission: €10 (free for under 18s), cash payment at the meeting point (goes in full to the Citizens' Association STALINBAUTEN e.V.)

Registration: anmeldung@thelink.berlin


Between Strausberger Platz and Alexanderplatz: guided tour through Karl-Marx-Allee / 2nd construction phase, with Claudia Nier (Neighborhood Council KMA II e.V.)

Sun, March 16th, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., meeting point: Berlin-Mitte Town Hall, Karl-Marx-Alle 31

Admission: €8 (free for under 18s), cash payment at the meeting point (goes in full as a donation to the Hansaviertel Citizens' Association

Registration: anmeldung@thelink.berlin


Guided tour of the Hansaviertel, with Carsten Bauer (Hansaviertel Citizens' Association)

Sat, March 22nd 11 a.m. - 2 p.m., meeting point: Berlin Pavillon, Straße des 17. Juni 100, 10623 Berlin

Admission: €8 (free for under 18s), cash payment at meeting point

Registration: anmeldung@thelink.berlin



(IN GERMAN)