1. Martin Wagner: Urban Planner in Exile
An exploration of the physical manifestations of Martin Wagner's theoretical and philosophical ideas
Andro R Mathewson / Professor Anna Vallye
ABSTRACT
TIMELINE
RESULTS
Martin Wagner, Berlin's chief urban planner from 1925 until 1933, is known for his implementation of utilitarian housing structures to curb the housing shortage post world war one and his use of open spaces to provide the city’s citizens with places to relax and exercise, during the restructuring of Berlin. The majority of his writings are highly theoretical and engage in depth with his personal philosophical convictions, the physical manifestations of many of which are still used in Berlin to this day. 
In 1924 he created a building society GEHAG, which still exists in a similar form to this day, to increase the amount of houses built during the post war period. In 1925 he was elected chief city planner of Berlin and spearheaded the construction of Berlin’s Modernist Housing Estates. Wagner focused on urban planning as a method to not only improves peoples’ lives but also as a way to increase efficiency of the city’s workforce. He designed and implemented the construction of utilitarian housing structures, know as “Siedlungen”. These high rises helped to provide housing for those displaced after the war and also instill a sense of community amongst those living there. Wagner, believed in the power of community leadership and encouraged local governance of these housing communities of high rises. In many of his writings, Wagner discusses the necessity for open public spaces such as parks and sport arenas for citizen’s to be able to rest and recuperate after a day of work. He argues that this isn’t necessary only to provide people with green areas to rest, but also as a method to increase people’s efficiency while working. He maintained that these public open spaces must be easily accessible via public transport and well laid out road arteries. He also organized and unified industrial suppliers, helped establish and fortify labor unions and rationalize construction practices in an effort to mass produce affordable and quality housing.
1914 Dissertation regarding “Das sanitäre Grün der Städte”
1918 City Building Commissioner for Schöneberg
1924 GEHAG Building Society Founded
1925 Chief City Planner of Berlin
1926 Expansion of Berlin’s Subway
1929 Restructuring of Alexanderplatz
1931 Visit to the Soviet Union
1933 Strandbad Wahnsee
1933 Removed from Office by National Socialists
1935 Escape to Turkey
1938 Emigration to the United States of America
1950 Professor at Harvard
SOURCES
Analysis and translation of primary source documents from and after Wagner’s time in Berlin’s city planning office.
OBJECTIVES
To explore, understand and analyze Martin Wagner's’ theoretical and philosophical ideas as written by him during his time in Berlin and to examine the physical manifestations of those concepts, such as the “Siedlungen”, which are UNESCO world heritage sites and the many open spaces in Berlin planned by the German architect.
Newspaper articles from Bauwelt, Berlin am Morgen, etc.
Lectures and Essays from The Technical University of Berlin & The Free University of Berlin
Personal letters between Wagner and Gropius (another prominent architect at the time)
Reports by the office of city planning and the GEHAG Building Society
Reports from meetings of the Social Democratic Party of Germany