The ghosts of Berlin : confronting German history in the urban landscape : with a new afterword

"Written in a clear and elegant style, The Ghosts of Berlin is . . . a superb guide to this process of urban self-definition, both past and present." — The Wall Street Journal In the twenty years since its original publication, The Ghosts of Berlin has become a classic, an unparalleled guide to understanding the presence of history in our built environment, especially in a space as historically contested—and emotionally fraught—as Berlin. Brian Ladd examines the ongoing conflicts radiating from the remarkable fusion of architecture, history, and national identity in Berlin. Returning to the city frequently, Ladd continues to survey the urban landscape, traversing its ruins, contemplating its buildings and memorials, and carefully deconstructing the public debates and political controversies emerging from its past. "With erudition, insight, and restraint, Brian Ladd carries off the dangerous task of analyzing architecture and urbanism in Berlin in terms of its horrific political past. He convincingly argues that architecture embodies ideological meaning more powerfully than other artifacts of a society." — The New York Times Book Review "Ladd examines the conflicts radiating from [Berlin's] remarkable fusion of architecture, history and national identity." — History Today "His history of Berlin's architectural successes and failures reads entertainingly like a detective novel." — The New Republic "Ladd's balanced, sensitive chronicle of the Berlin's traumatized topography brings the past into focus." — Harvard Design Magazine In this elegant and compelling work, Brian Ladd examines the ongoing conflicts radiating from the remarkable fusion of architecture, history, and national identity in Berlin. How is reunified Germany confronting a divisive and authoritarian past rendered tangible by the Berlin Wall, the Reichstag, Hitler's bunker - even the Brandenburg Gate? How can the rich culture of the past, the artistic and intellectual heritage of Berlin's avant garde, be rescued from the Cold War blight of Potsdamer Platz? And can the Neue Wache, Berlin's monumental remembrance of the horrors of tyranny and war, become the structural centerpiece and the symbolic guardian of this once and future capital. -- publisher's statement Berlin Walls -- Old Berlin -- Metropolis -- Nazi Berlin -- Divided Berlin -- Capital Of The New Germany -- Afterword: Two Decades Later -- Chronology Of Berlin's History. Brian Ladd. Includes Bibliographical References And Index.