The Bench

As I look out to my garden

I feel a sense of pride ?

It really is a lovely room ?

Except it is outside.

Where lovely things mix and match

And greenery fills the walls

The sound of trickling water

Coming from the gold fish pond.

There's not much more that I can say

Except if you have your own

It won't take long to build it up

Seeds will bloom once they are sown.

- by Marie Church

It was time to visit the authority’s building in Eimsbüttel. We were planning our holidays trip, and for that we needed to renew the passports of both our children so we can be ready to travel. I have to admit, I am not always so excited about this visit. You know, the long waits, the paperwork, the multi-layered process of bureaucracy, and above all, getting the right photo after 12859120 trials at the photographer’s studio for both of them! I tell you, not easy! But it all went well, smooth and quick, and the kids were set to travel! As we went downstairs to pick up my son’s scooter that was parked around the corner of that building, suddenly Jan, my husband, screamed loudly” Oh no !! they ripped it all off “

I was not exactly sure at that moment what was he talking about (busy, while struggling to unlock the scooter! ) but then I looked at the direction where he was looking, and there was this lonesome bench. Trees around it were randomly chopped off, as if a whirlwind attacked this poor bench in the middle of the night and tore up everything around it, leaving it as miserable as it was when we saw it! I turned to Jan and asked, what did I miss?!

Jan’s story goes back a couple of months ago, when he was with our children at that same spot. The three of them saw a small oasis between the giant high-rise buildings of the Grindel district. A truly colourful eye-catcher of green bushes, roses, cypresses and many other flowers. Jan then talked about a woman who was watering the plants and trimming the flowers, but nothing more!

The scene of the bench, and the truncated story Jan told me that day, made me want to dig for more information about it, and here are the backstories I discovered!

The Bench

“I see the need of many people to connect with nature and to be co-creators, co-planters of a more individual, colourful life.”

-Rosemarie Lehmann (1)

In the summer of May 2003, Rosemarie Lehmann, a German woman in her late sixties, looked out of her Livingroom window on the 7th floor at a small abandoned area beside the district’s office of Eimsbüttel. That plot of land was overwhelmed with spiralling weeds and unwanted plants. Lehmann thought to herself, “That’s a shame!” That was the moment when the 68-year-old lady decided to take care of that tiny abandoned pocket, but it was also a good option for her to stay busy especially that she was a pensioner, and similar activity would keep her occupied. She immediately contacted the district’s office and got the permission to cultivate that area. (1)

Rosemarie said in one of her interviews, the first who came to offer help once she rolled up her sleeves and started working with plants were ten children from the neighbouring high-rise houses. It was at that moment when she knew this plot of land is going to be a popular public space for her neighbourhood. The spirit was high, and everyone was excited while digging, pulling then filling. A mum even came with her son and gave Rosemarie a small headstone. On that stone all the ambitious children drew their names in different colours, and by doing this they claimed their right to their little summer project. Beside their vibrant names, Rosemarie thought of ‘Kunterbunt Garten’ as a name for their little pocket, or the colourful graden in English.. People, however, had different names, some call it Garden of Eden, others call it the Gem, or the Garden of the Soul, but the most famous of all is the ‘Oase’ or the Oasis in English. (1) This rainbow-like pocket which Rosemarie and her little helpers have created was a safe, welcoming, and accommodating public space. But in my opinion the most important and fascinating thing about this initiative, was the fact that Rosemarie taught those young children back then, how to claim their right to their city in the most creative and proactive way.

Nissenhütte

Rosemarie’s story goes back decades ago, when she moved with her husband and three children into the high-rise complex or as how its called the Grindelh?user. (3) To her, this move was the beginning of a new era for a luxurious life, so much different than the drastic years that preceded during the wars. Like many major German cities, Hamburg was badly damaged during the bombing raids of WWII. Entire neighbourhoods were completely destroyed, and around?44,600 civilians were killed. (8) This severe damage inevitably led to a housing shortage and starvation. Hunger riots and fuel theft took over everyday’s life practices for many Hamburgers, who were desperately hoping for an improvement in their poor living conditions. (4)

This troubled condition of Hamburg and the lack of short-term accommodation in the immediate vicinity led the British military administration (which was occupying Germany at that time) to desperately search for emergency shelters especially with the approaching winter, and this is when the old project of ‘Nissen Huts’ took effect.

The Nissen Huts was a project created by the Canadian officer, also a mining engineer, Peter Norman Nissen who was commissioned in 1916 to develop accommodation for the British troops during the war. His project, which proved to be an effective solution before, was re-embraced again in Hamburg by the British occupier, and in November 1945 Nissen huts were set up all over Hamburg as a quick solution for the pressing housing shortage.

"Up to 42,000 people lived in huts like this in Hamburg, we had them laid later so that the hut is a little more accessible for visitors.?After the war, only a little bit of insulating asphalt floor was put in.”

-Martin Kleinfeld?(9)

The huts were built out of corrugated iron barrel with a concrete base as foundation. With the help of just four soldiers, a full hut could be set up within four hours. Each person had two square meters at their disposal, and a hut of 50 sq.m. could host up to fifty people, ranging from refugee babies to war invalids, supported with two barracks for primitive washbasins and outhouses. (9)?The urban fabric of Hamburg at that point was primarily shaped by what was called the Nissenhütte project, with 14,000 people living there in 1951 (6)

At that point the living conditions were temporal, and the Germans in Hamburg were desperate for an improvement in their living status. Even though the new residents of the huts managed to get around the poor and primitive condition of their living spaces back then regarding the insulation and livability, but still, their hope for stability and warmth was increasing.

Little German Manhattan

"You don't get anything from the high-rise settlement. Instead, nature and lots of trees, residents and walkers hear nothing from the noise of the big city.” ?

-Social scientist and historian Helga Magdalena Thienel- SAGA (6)?

After this quick solution, the housing shortage was mostly resolved in many parts of the city. The British administration (stationed in Hamburg) started then to look for a plot of land that would serve as a new home for their headquarters. Thereupon, the former Jewish district, Grindel which was severely destroyed during the bombing of the war was a good candidate. When the war started, this neighbourhood comprised 175 houses with 1,079 apartments, 70 shops and 36 workshops.?After the bombardment in 1945, 36 houses with 108 apartments remained, dispersed within a vast plot of land filled with debris and ruins. (5)

To realise their plan, the British looked for architects from Hamburg who were impeccable and not influenced by the National Socialism, something which was decisive for their commission. The choice included architects Fritz Trautwein, Bernhard Hermkes, Bernhard Hopp, Rudolf J?ger, Hans Loop, Rudolf Lodders, Friedrich Ostermeyer, Heinz -Jürgen Ruscheweyh, Ferdinand Streb, Albrecht Sander, and Hermann Zess. The British had a preliminary plan of 6-7 story residential units to be situated in a north-south orientation. Something that was technically tricky considering the total area required and the desired sun exposure. As an alternative, the Hamburg architectural association at that time proposed 8-12 story residential blocks with shops on the ground floors instead, while maintaining the basic urban structure of the preliminary design proposed by the British. Due to the enormous time and financial pressure, the draft was submitted within six weeks in the summer of 1946. (9)

I think it is worth mentioning here that in the course of the reconstruction of Hamburg, urban planning was based on the Athens Charter, which was adopted in 1933 at the fourth Congrès Internationaux d'Architecture Moderne (CIAM). Urban planners and architects discussed the implementation of modern settlement structures with a main objective to equalise urban and living spaces under the motto "air, light, sun". (16) Considering this, the entire architecture of that group of high rise buildings in Grindel testified to a modernity that progressively rebelled against the old architectural ideas of Hitler and the National Socialist era.

In my opinion, what is unique about this specific development, was it being put in action right after the war ended, in a time when challenges to get things running and buildings constructed were conspicuous, despite what many historians documented about this time as a troublesome interval that slowed down the construction of that complex. It was an interval of time when the provision of manpower for example turned out to be a particular defiance since the required workers were not even available. The insufficient nutrition following the war leading to the low performance of the workers, and the lack of materials and construction machines also added to more delays. At that point, the first criticism from London reached Hamburg, which did not really support the project as a whole. (4) But another important reason that actually brought the construction site to a complete standstil was the hard winter Hamburg witnessed that year between 1946-47. (4)

This challenging time led both forces of the British and the Americans that were stationed in Germany to agree on expanding the city of Frankfurt-Main into their headquarters instead of Hamburg (7), which meant grinding the whole Grindel project to a halt. This decision did not appeal to the Hamburg Senate, and plans to proceed with the project went ahead. On July 12, 1946, the groundbreaking ceremony took place, and the foundation-stone was laid for this first ever high-rise settlement in Germany.?For many like Rosemarie Lehmann and her family, this new ensemble seemed like a glimpse into a free and bright future.

Should we build something new or reconstruct the surrounding ruins?

In 1946, steel girders soared up into the sky between the existing villas and the war debris in the old Jewish district of Hamburg. Twelve gigantic skyscrapers were under construction, however, the hope of an improved financial situation halted the construction site until the currency reform in 1948. Experts back then found the high-rise variant to be more advantageous option, since it required lower ongoing construction costs, contained more housing units, and was certainly more profitable at the same time. But also, it provided an opportunity to play a pioneering role in post-war reconstruction. So the idea of reconstructing the old low rise houses and small villas did not seem to be the right solution. Finally after almost a year of parliamentary discussions, it was decided in January 1949 to erect the first two buildings, and SAGA company was selected as the developer of the project in 1949. (4)

SAGA was founded in 1922 as a housing company in Hamburg. It was originally called Altonaer Saga as an initiative by Max Brauer, the second mayor of hamburg at that time. When the Nazis rose in power in the 1930s, they occupied the Altonaer Saga offices and interfered with all the running projects, and all the buildings that were perceived as Non-German or modern (flat roofs for example) had to be ‘germanised’, and the flat roofs had to become pitched roofs. (10) After the war, the companies name was changed to SAGA, and it successfully managed to build many parts in ruined Hamburg, and nowadays in every new development one cane see the name SAGA as its developer.

The architectural style of the twelve buildings was based on models of classical modernism pioneered by the architect Le Corbusier, something that was of course frowned upon in the Third Reich period. After the Nazi period, German architects were finally able to build in a modern way by the end of the 1940s, and instead of the typical red brick, German architects opted for light clinker facades.?(10) It was a project that put a signal in the disorientation of post-war architecture. With the Grindelh?user project, the ideals of modern urban planning were turned into reality.

The heights of the Grindel high-rise towers ranged between 26 and 41 meters, consisting of nine to fifteen floors in total, while none is exactly the same as the other.?The floor plans consisted of 1-2 room apartments, which meant more housing units for more demands covering over 2,000 apartments. (4) The time duration it took for the whole settlement to be built was ten years in total from 1946 till 1956, which provided space for around 5,400 people who could reside in 2,100 apartments (size: 17 to 100 m2). (11)

Hot water, Garbage chute, and a gas station, a dream came true!

The new residents were amazed at how luxurious the whole complex was considering the standards of the fifties. Their flats had large windows behind the yellow clinker fa?ade and a roof terrace on the 14th floor. They also had ready-made kitchens and bathrooms, and for the first time they could get hot water at the comfort of their homes. Main traffic routes were deliberately laid around the site so that no roads cross the area, safety was needed. Underground car park was also available, a gas station at their own disposal, laundry and public uses such as medical practices and shops on the ground floors, all strengthened the self-sufficiency of the whole settlement. But the thing that sold the whole idea to new tenants was that each apartment had its own private sanitary area after long years of shared toilets in the Nissenhütte. For this luxury, the tenants were more than willing to shell out relatively more rent for those units, which was around twice as much as in the old buildings. (11)

The tenants profile in the early years consisted of a large part of employees and civil servants, some freelancers and artists, also a few tenants from the working-class milieu. In addition to the income and origin, the payment of a building cost subsidy was significant. There is no doubt that long-term financing for that expensive project was only possible through the tenant loans. (4) And for SAGA the selection of the tenants was even more crucial.

"My mother was eternally grateful to be able to live there"

-Katharina Abendroth, a retiree who lived in Grindel when she was a child with her mum in 1955

In 1956, Blocks 1 and 4 were the first to be inhabited. Block 4 was mainly equipped with 1-2 room apartments, and was reserved for single postal workers. A roof garden on Block 4 was designed to encourage community activities. (12) It is the urban qualities that made Grindel’s skyscrapers work significantly well. The central location and the good connections to the city centre were also decisive for its popularity for many years. Another appealing point was it being a place of art.?Residential studios for artists have been set up on the upper floors, and sculptures from a competition in the 1950s decorated the surrounding green areas as a sign of a cultural resurgence. (13) Those artworks were done by Karl August Ohrt, Hans Martin Ruwoldt, Fritz Fleer, Ursula Quemer, and Barbara Haeger. (14) (Have a look at the photo gallery at the end)

I think the best part in that project was locating its twelve buildings 100 meters apart, it was literally a city within a park. Despite their height, there was plenty of space between them for light and greenery, and the park served as a meeting place for the neighbourhood in "Hamburg's Manhattan". Lively social life took place between the walls of the high-rise buildings, (7) and many old photos in Hamburg’s Bundesarchiv show children happily and safely enjoying the vast spaces and the green areas between their buildings. In the 1970s and 1980s the good reputation of Hamburg’s Manhattan suffered. Gradually, violence, drugs and crime, poverty and misery took over. A shop owner in one of the buildings said in an interview with the BILD magazine: "Dropped junkies always come here in the evenings." (17) Deals were being made at every corner, while the police kept checking frequently in order to get the situation under control, not to mention that shop-owners hired security companies. (17) The situation has been fluctuating along the years, and in 2000 the twelve high-rise building have been listed. Only one of the twelve is privately owned, ten are owned by SAGA, and one is owned by Eimsbüttel district’s office. The building where Rosemarie created her Grindel Oasis around its corner. The question here is, was this whole socially unpleasant scene what inspired Rosemarie 19 years ago to create a safe haven for the people around the corner of her building? Did she want to resurrect this neighbourhood’s ambiance that once existed through her little oasis.

“Man’s most successful attempt to remake the world he lives in more after his heart’s desire. But, if the city is the world which man created, it is the world in which he is henceforth condemned to live. Thus, indirectly, and without any clear sense of the nature of his task, in making the city man has remade himself”

-Robert Park,?On Social Control and Collective Behavior, Chicago 1967, p. 3.

Our city, Our rules

What Rosemarie managed to do was the pure definition of place making. Placemaking as many of us know, is a way to transform an unused or underutilized public space into a vibrant gathering place for the community. And in the process of making this a reality, Rosemarie successfully claimed her right to the city. A right that was bound under the political party that was in good terms with the whole project when it started 19 years ago and even helped financing it for many years. When the funding stopped, the whole project fell under dismay. The new political party did not feel the urge nor the need to support this little pocket that played a big role in bringing a human touch to a deserted area. It is no secret that the main problem we face nowadays lies at our incapability of actually say the city is ours just through the social ties we share, or the aesthetics we create in our built environment, or even when we take to the street. Unfortuantly, exclusion from public space has today become a standard tool of state intervention. The Grindel Oase pocket is now lost in transition, crushed by the diminished budget and support. It is important to mention here that civic initiatives addressing this issue do exist, but they loose their incentives with time. And even though municipal departments actually try to support similar small initiatives, eventually they fall under the service of some political interests and corporate lobbies.

I think we need to get inspired by this brave woman, Rosemarie, who moved from her position as a passive citizen watching from a window in the 7th floor into and active user and furthermore a creator of a public space with just an existing old bench and few plants. A creator who negotiated and managed her right to the city through her little space, and along the process she taught younger generations how to do the same.

This is actually something Don Mitchell discussed in 2003. Mitchell thinks that the right to the city is a call to interrogate the ways that dominant legal tools and narratives to exclude the voices and interests of those who actually occupy urban spaces. Margaret Kohn in 2016 has further developed the idea of the right to the city through understanding it in terms of fundamental interests that can be elaborated in terms of a solidaristic conception of social property that takes rights claims to be internal to the politics of the public space. (15) Public spaces hold meanings, they define the culture of a city by shaping how people live and experience urban life. A public space helps determine the relationship between people and their surroundings. It has this unique potential to create a sense of belonging, a cultural vibrancy, and in turn it promotes happiness and well-being.

“My life as a gardener means a lot to me. It means Fun, especially because this little green oasis in the middle of the city centre brings a quality of life for many people. And it makes them happy when they see it, but I want a quality of life for myself too, and that is what I get through this little garden” ?

-Rosemarie Lehmann

Yesterday I passed by the bench, and a chill went down my spine. Not because it was one of Hamburg’s cold winter days, but because the bench of Grindel Oase lost its warmth. Now the whole space was profoundly an alienating experience, as if it had been abruptly evacuated for an emergency call that no one told you about. That unique space was no longer welcoming, and certainly did not accommodate any social activities.

Article originally published on my website www.the-stories-of.com

For additional information and sources, please have a look at those useful links below:

More on the Degenerate Art exhibition can be found on MoMA

More useful sources:

1- Jahresheft 2019, Deutsche Gesellschaft für Gartenkunst und Landschaftskultur, ?Landesverband Hamburg /Schleswig-Holstein e.V.

2- Michaud, Eirc, 2004,The Cult of Art in Nazi Germany, Stanford University press

3- Tongers, Alana, 2021, Frau Lehmann blüht auf , Eimsbüttler Nachrichten

4- Erbert, Felix, Die Grindelh?user, Wohnhochh?user: Historische Beispiele

5- Schmid, Eva Dorothée, 2014, Wohnen im Denkmal Die Grindelhochh?user: ein vertikales Dorf, Die Wohnungswertschaft , p 25

6- SAGA, Ein Zahnrad im neuen System. Die Zeit des Nationalsozialismus

7- Grimm, Hanna, 2021, Grindelhochh?user: Früher Luxus - heute Kult , NDR.de

8- Watson, Greig, 2019, Operation Gomorrah: Firestorm created 'Germany's Nagasaki' , BBC

9- Wenig, Peter, 2018, Wohnungsnot nach dem Krieg: k?lte im Wellblechhaus , Hamburger Abendblatt

10- https://www.saga.hamburg/unternehmensgruppe/ueber-uns/100-jahre-saga

11- Neddermeyer, Meike, 2022, 10 Dinge, die ihr über die Grindelhochh?user wissen solltet

12- District Office Eimsbüttel | Grindel skyscrapers

13- Danek, Sabine, 2014, Kunst im Bau , die Zeit

14- Grindelhochh?user

15- King, Loren Antony, 2018, Henri Lefebvre and the Right to the City , research gate

16- Preiksch, Claudia, Von dem Konzept der aufgelockerten Stadt zur Gro?wohnsiedlung: Hamburg im Wandel st?dtebaulicher Leitbilder, Stiftung Historische Museen Hamburg

17- Dobers, Jan-Henrick and Berg, Lars , 2016, Die bittere Wahrheit über die Grindel-Hochh?user , BILD

18- Roller, Sarah, 2021, ‘Degenerate’ Art: The Condemnation of Modernism in Nazi Germany, History Hit