Publications Repository - Gdańsk University of Technology

There are many reasons that make the work of Gustav Oelsner worth to present. One of the reasons is comparison of two different ways of development of two cities, Gdynia (an exhibition of work of Gustav Oelsner was presented in Gdynia in April and May of 2011) and Altona, were Oelsner created his architecture. These two cities has grown at the side of their big neighbours, Gdansk and Hamburg. They are harbour cities and their full bloom took place in the beginning of XX century, in the time of revolutionary changes in architecture and urbanism. It gives possibility to compare two different faces of Modernism. It gives also chance to compare contemporary reception and the problem of protection of heritage of Modernism. Next important reason is the question of a role of a City Architect in creating of contemporary image of a city. Gustav Oelsner was not only the administrator of problems connected with architecture. His social awareness and aesthetic sensitivity gave his vision of city development a timeless value, that makes Altona even now one of the most attractive parts of Hamburg. Oelsner’s life is a picture of dedication to architecture, but also a picture of complicated and difficult history of 20th century. He was persecuted because of his Jewish background and had to escape to Turkey during Second World War. What makes Oelsner particularly interesting in the history, is his brick architecture, original clinker façades that have no equivalent among other brick architecture works.

Authors

• dr inż. arch. Małgorzata Kostrzewska link open in new tab ,
• dr inż. arch. Bartosz Macikowski link open in new tab