UIA Rhein-Main 2002

Architecture in Hesse: Kassel

Kassel is world-famous! It is the site of the most important exhibition of contemporary art, the "documenta". And even the buildings of the city of Kassel in the extreme north of Hesse are contemporary, because most of them are hardly 60 years old! 76% of the entire urban area was destroyed by British bombs on 22nd October 1943; further losses ensued in the post-war period. Hardly any other city suffered the fluctuating moods of architectural and urban design criticism as much as Kassel - within a few years it changed from a pilgrimage centre of modern reconstruction to a prototype of the "failed city" (Dieter Hoffmann-Axthelm).

1955 was Kassel's greatest year. Work on the Auefeld began, which was the first large residential estate, and an artistic event was to be held parallel to the German Garden Show. It was the first exhibition of modern art in Germany after the war, and it marked the starting point for Kassel's splendid documenta tradition. In the subsequent years the 1950s image of the city centre arose, and it can still be seen today. German reunification not only restored Kassel's central position in Germany in the 1990s, it also gave new impetus to local and long-distance rail transport and brought a new upswing in construction.

Kassel is surrounded by wonderful countryside; the picture of "Herkules" and his palace rising majestically above Wilhelmshöhe hill park is one of the outstanding views in Germany. But the city's old wounds are clearly visible even today.

Further information on Kassel can be obtained under:
www.documenta.de

Bund Deutscher Architekten BDA im Lande Hessen e.V.
Braubachstrasse 10/12
D-60311 Frankfurt am Main
eMail: uia@bda-hessen.de

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