The buildings constructed in East Germany after the Second World War are often dismissed as drab, Soviet-style, prefabricated blocks of cement. But the architecture of the German Democratic Republic was created with an eye toward modernity and efficiency, and heralded the birth of a new country and a new economic and social system. Hans Engels has traveled throughout East Germany to photograph iconic modernist buildings that survived demolition. From movie theaters, high-rises, and restaurants to museums, convention centers, and transit stations, these buildings have all stood the test of time. While the philosophy that drove their design may be outdated, their retro appeal is stronger than ever.

The Zugspitze is the highest mountain in Germany, rising an impressive 2962 meters. Hundreds of thousands of visitors reach the cross on its summit every year, whether after a comfortable ride with the funicular or by tackling the steep ascent on foot. Hans Engels has undertaken the strenuous, but spectacularly beautiful climb and has chosen the alpine primordial landscape to be the protagonist of his incredible photographs. The photographer's view takes in both the idyllic simplicity of the landscape as well as great plays of nature. Engels' sublime photographs capture craggy rock formations or deep gorges cut through by springs. Nevertheless, traces of civilization in his photographs, like the mine in the Hoellental valley and the research station next to the ice fields on the glaciers, are often juxtaposed in fascinating contrast to an ostensibly untouched natural setting.

Dieser Buchtitel ist Teil des Digitalisierungsprojekts Springer Book Archives mit Publikationen, die seit den Anfangen des Verlags von 1842 erschienen sind. Der Verlag stellt mit diesem Archiv Quellen fur die historische wie auch die disziplingeschichtliche Forschung zur Verfugung, die jeweils im historischen Kontext betrachtet werden mussen. Dieser Titel erschien in der Zeit vor 1945 und wird daher in seiner zeittypischen politisch-ideologischen Ausrichtung vom Verlag nicht beworben.