german democratic republic

Karl Marx Monument – Chemnitz, Germany

Second-largest bust in the world after the gigantic Lenin in Ulan-Ude, the Karl-Marx Monument is the most famous landmark of Chemnitz, a large city in former GDR.

Nicknamed “Nischel” (Upper Saxon German for head), the monument was commissioned to Soviet sculptor Lev Kerbel to honour the 1953 renaming of the city to Karl-Marx-Stadt.
The giant bronze head, 7,1 meters tall and around 40 tonnes heavy, was inaugurated on 9 October 1971.

After German reunification (and the subsequent return to the city’s previous name) demolition and sale were proposed but the monument in the end remained in its place.

Karl Marx head in Chemnitz Impossible Yellow Duochrome Third Man Records Edition / Polaroid 636 Closeup

FDGB Erholungsheim “Hermann Duncker” – Schierke, Germany

Built in 1909 near Schierke, a small mountain village in the idyllic Harz National Park, the once luxurious hotel Villa Waldpark became after 1945 a recreation resort for the members of FDGB, the Free German Trade Union Federation of GDR.

Named after German political activist Hermann Duncker in the Sixties, the Erholungsheim was operational until 1990, when it ceased to exist together with the Deutsche Demokratische Republik itself.
Since then, the place has been left to rot and decay.

No restoration project is at the moment planned.

Vegetation taking over a veranda Polaroid B&W 600 Film Color Frames / Polaroid Supercolor 670AF

TV Tower – East Berlin, Germany

Happy 50th Birthday, Telespargel!

Berlin worldwide-famous television tower was inaugurated on 3rd October, 1969.

Architectural landmark and political symbol of GDR power, the monument overlooks Alexanderplatz and was purpose-built to be visible from almost the whole city.

Berliner Fernsehturm Impossible B&W Film for 600 Round Frame Edition - Expired Film / Polaroid Supercolor 670AF

Müggelturm – East Berlin, Germany

Clean-cut and chic, the Müggelturm is one of the first examples of Modernist architecture in East Berlin after years of ruling Stalinist Classicism in GDR.

Almost 30 meters high, the tower overlooks the Müggelsee and the surrounding woods from a hillock.

Opened to the public on the 31st of December of 1961 – just a few months after the construction of the infamous Wall – the building was designed by the collective of students of Kunsthochschule Berlin-Weißensee led by architects Jörg Streitparth, Siegfried Wagner and Klaus Weißhaupt.

The façades display panoramic windows at every landing, together with stylish clear concrete geometrical shapes.

A twin tower is planned to be built soon next to the original one.

Müggelturm Fujifilm instax mini monochrome / Leica Sofort
Concrete façade Polaroid Color 600 Metallic Red Frame Edition / Polaroid Supercolor 670AF
The staircase Fujifilm instax mini monochrome / Leica Sofort
Müggelturm Polaroid Color 600 Metallic Red Frame Edition / Polaroid Supercolor 670AF
Müggelturm Fujifilm instax mini monochrome / Leica Sofort