Abstract

The paper aims to compare the modernistic social housing estates built during the interwar period in the Free City of Gdansk and in Altona, the small neighbour of Hamburg. The comparison is based on the analysis of the factors, which significantly affected the decisions regarding spatial transformations and the development of both cities in that time. These factors include primarily: poor living conditions, resulting from the explosive growth of cities and industry at the turn of the 19th and 20th century; growing popularity of the Howard’s “garden-city” idea and emerging new architectural style – Modernism and its interpretations; tradition of German brick architecture; personalities of Hugo Althoff (in Gdansk) and Gustav Oelsner (in Altona), the authors of the new cities’ development plans, urban and architectural designs; their ideological background and professional experience they mostly shared; political context and connections of both cities with the German Reich; development of housing cooperatives and social housing; growing role of urban green, recreation, and sport areas. The comparison shows that despite many differences, such as the political situation, history, or the approach to spatial planning (in Gdansk – construction of new neighbourhoods and housing complexes on greenfield; in Altona – also complementing the existing city buildings with the new housing developments), the effect has often been similar for a number of attributes. Social housing estates of Gdansk and Altona are connected to the idea of caring for healthy living conditions, access of sunlight and air, creative use of the “garden-city” idea. The attempt to realization of the demands of Modernism while preserving architectural and urban tradition, despite different urban and architectural solutions, is common as well. Althoff and Oelsner were characterised by social awareness, aesthetic sensitivity, and a certain amount of visionary reaching many years ahead. Implementation of short-term political purposes was not their intention. The social housing estates from the 20s and 30s enrich the space of modern Gdansk and Hamburg-Altona constantly recalling the value of the social function of the city.

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