KUNZMANN, Klaus R.

Technische Universität Dortmund, Germany

German cities are places, where cultural life has always been important. Theaters, concert halls as well as socio-cultural centers and festivals are light towers and corner stones of urban life and city development. Multifunctional civic halls are essential economic sites of the local, economy. Rooted in a long history fine and performing arts play an important role in the German society. Christian communities built impressive richly decorated churches in cities and villages to praise god and earn a peaceful life after death. Dukes and princesses impressed their large feudal families and visitors by asking architects to build them attractive palaces and country houses surrounded by well-designed gardens. Both the church communities hand the feudal gentry used their premises to decorate and display art by renowned artists of the time. They entertain their communities and large families from across Europe with music and theater performances in court theatres and art collections. Once the feudal times came slowly to an end in the 19th century, local governments in German cities and towns encouraged by wealthy bourgeois families resumed the tradition and built public theaters, concert halls and museums for the evolving civic society. In today's Germany the arts and music and related cultural and creative industries have not lost their importance. They are seen valued as vital pillars of local economic development, education, entertainment and social inclusion, even as gate keepers of democracy. After 1945 local governments, besides reconstructing war-demolished theaters and museums, built multifunctional city halls as venues for public and commercial activities, for conventions, congresses, fairs and even sport activities. Cultural and creative industries have received much local cultural and economic interest. The paper will discuss the importance of culture and culture related buildings for city development and urban life in Germany. It will briefly discuss the implications of the still ongoing pandemic on culture and city life on German cities and towns, and will conclude with some remarks on transferability

Light Towers and Corner Stones of Urban Life and City Development in Germany

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