Media Markt Hamburg

An event in the series Following the Traces of Nazi Architecture | Media Markt HamburgWhat would have happened if Hamburg had become a “Führer City”? More than 79 years ago, Hamburg's Senator for Construction Peter Ahrens and Reich Governor Karl Kaufmann presented ambitious plans for a complete transformation of the banks of the Elbe. Hamburg was to be developed into a monumental “Führer City” – with huge construction projects that would have permanently changed the cityscape. Architect Konstanty Gutschow emerged as the winner of an urban-planning competition. Through his designs, he placed himself at the service of the National Socialist regime and its vision of a radically redesigned city. The central structure in these plans was to be the so-called Gauhaus on the banks of the Elbe. With a planned height of around 250 meters, this building would have dominated Hamburg's skyline – approximately twice as tall as the Michel (the main church of St. Michaelis). Many of these monumental projects were never realized. Yet the plans impressively demonstrate how strongly the National Socialists sought to transform Hamburg – and what traces of that era can still be found in the city's history today.