Gisela Kurkhaus-Müller

Marzahn

Improvising against Uniformity

In the GDR, prefabricated housing was considered a centerpiece of social policy and symbol of the progress of really existing socialism; the apartment block was a scene of the birth of a new society and promised a life with modern amenities in bustling housing estates. Years later, ruined buildings awaited demolition, were refurbished or converted. Even today, prefab housing remains a defining feature of the urban landscape in East Germany.

The painter and graphic artist Gisela Kurkhaus-Müller’s limited-edition print Marzahn was created in 1982. The lithograph shows a segment of an apartment block with decorated balconies in East Berlin, illustrating how the individual will to expression breaks up the architecture’s monotonous grid pattern. The edition is released on occasion of the book project Wohnkomplex. Life and Work in Plattenbau.