The reconstruction of cities after the destruction of war: from the exact reproduction to the exaltation of the ruin. A comparison between the cases of Münster, Kassel, Le Havre, Hamburg and Belchite in the second half of the 20th century.

Abstract

There are many ways to rebuild cities after the destruction of war, depending on the intensity of the destruction, the economic, political and social situation and the authority doing the rebuildings, as well as the technicians who intervened and the theory and practice that guided the planning. Thi paper aims to classify the types of reconstruction that took place in the European post-war period, analysing five case studies: Münster, Kasseland, Hamburg, Le Havre and Belchite.