Eseniya Gershman_Term2_Essay

Term 2 HTS Submission Eseniya Gershman

Linking to the historical context of the working class defending Karl Marx Hof during the Austrian Civil War, I want to argue, that the structure of the residential complex Karl Marx Hof was designed and built for the function of a fortification.

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“Workers of the world unite; you have nothing to lose but your chains.”

Karl Marx

In early morning 1934 in the capital of Austria, all the trams stood still, it was a sign of the start of the European working class to rise against fascism for the first time1. Several conflicts took place around Vienna, with main battles concentrating on fighting for large municipal houses. Karl Marx Hof being one of the largest complexes at the legacy of Social Democratic city, became the focal point of “February Uprising” during Austrian Civil War2. The proletariat workers resisting fascism movement, locked themselves up inside the building of Karl Marx Hof, using it as a barricade under heavy bombardment of fascists. From that day the building became a symbol for which people would fight for and against. Karl Marx Hof already having a look of a fortress, also became a castle under which people unite and for which they are ready to give their lives. Using the historical context of the defending of Karl Marx Hof during the Austrian Civil War, I want to argue, that the structure of the residential complex Karl Marx Hof was designed and built for the function of a fortification. The building is fascinating not only because the structure of a fortress like façade with elements of a castle, but also because of its unique plan and choreography of space through the complex for the best function of community.

Karl Marx Hof is a residential complex built in 1930 by Karl Ehn as a part of the Red Vienna Housing Programme. The urban programme was based on social reform aiming to provide affordable high-quality housing for the working class. The initial design is different from the built version and was done by Clemens Holzmeister. His proposal was full of “folk references and expressionist details that pleased both anti-clerical socialists and Roman Catholics”3, which is different approach from Karl Ehn, who concentrated on rationality and function of architecture. Karl Marx Hof was one of the largest and the longest residential buildings with over 1300 apartments and various social spaces and green areas. The size of the complex and the concept of Karl Ehn can represent how the fortress function was embodied into the residential building. The complex does not have a look of a typical residential building with the façade, which is made of red brick and is brought forward from sandstone yellow walls of the building, creating a sense of two separate buildings being stuck together. An emphasis was also created on facades by the use of red colour and active wall surfaces. It makes the façade more monumental and creates a look of a large strong defensive wall, which makes it a symbol of the power and links to the definition of a castle from fairy-tales, being the main architecture protecting the town and its people.

To understand if Karl-Marx-Hof has a function of a fortification, I would like to start by looking at the etymology of the word “fortress” and German word “Hof”. The word “fortress” is a Middle English word coming from Old French “Forteresse” meaning “strong place”, based on Latin fortis “strong”4. The word “Hof” in direct translation from German means “court, courtyard,” however, “From Old Norse Hof, 1

Municipal and provincial archives of Vienna, “February 1934 - History of Vienna”, n.d., accessed March 20, 2022, https://www.wien.gv.at/english/history/overview/february-1934.html 2 Micheal Brookes, “Karl-Marx-Hof", (2020), accessed March 20, 2022, https://www.designingbuildings.co.uk 3 Eve Blau, “Architecture of Red Vienna: 1919-1934”, p.

4 “Fortress (n.).” Etymology. Accessed March 21, 2022. https://www.etymonline.com/word/fortress.

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reinforced in modern use by Icelandic Hof “shrine, temple"”. Therefore, as can be seen from GermanEnglish Collins Dictionary “Hof” has also a meaning of a sacred place, a place people would be willing to protect and fight for. As Paul Hirst mentioned in “The defence of Places: Fortifications as Architecture”: “For the first half of the Millennium the main form of fortification was the castle. Such structures are now regarded as romantic and picturesque, expensively maintained by heritage bodies, and much visited by the public”5. I agree with Hirst’s opinion of castle being a romanticised version of a fortress. Looking at the main entry of Karl Marx Hof, you will see a facade with the sequence of tower like structures and six monumental wide arches, leading you to the main courtyard of the complex. It’s the main square of Karl Marx Hof, which you enter through the archways. This courtyard is the culminating point of the residential area surrounded by trees and various decorative elements such as: sculptures, memorials and murals, which romanticise the look of the square.

To argue if Karl Marx Hof has a symbol of a castle, I want to refer to the meaning of “castle” in German folklore and its symbolism. In German, there are two different words with a meaning of the castle: Burg and Schloss. However, there is a difference in the meaning: Burg is used for a castle with mostly defensive and military purposes, unlike Schloss, which is referring for a castle-palace6, comfortable and glorious palace for rulers and their elite. When thinking of a castle, most of us would imagine something similar to definition of “Schloss”, based on fairy tales we were told as kids, where castle is a magic palace for prince and princesses. Burg type of castles are playing even more important role in architecture with not just a function of residency and symbolism, but also with function of a military building.

Fig. 1 “Karl Marx Hof Façade Elevation”

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Paul Hirst, “The Defence of Places: Fortifications as Architecture [Part 1].” AA Files, no. 33 (1997): 13–26, accessed March 18, 2022, http://www.jstor.org/stable/29544045.

6 Unlock Your History. 2022. Berg vs. Burg. [online], Accessed 21 March, 2022, Available at: <https://www.unlockyourhistory.com/post/2018/11/08/why-burg-why-berg> [Accessed 21 March 2022].

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In my opinion, Karl Marx Hof has these characteristics of a castle, being a large, enclosed structure. This can be seen in structural elements of the complex. For example, the framing around the square is reminding of enclosed gardens inside castles. As can be seen in fig. 1 the façade consists of repeating pattern of fortress like shape with four towers in the middle and half towers on the sides and large red letter saying “Karl Marx Hof” in the centre 7. Each “tower” starts on the ground with a wide arch and going up in a narrow rectangular shape with two cut out rectangles. The doors of the building located between the arches and are framed with chunky concrete and wide stairs to create a contrast between the façade and an entering. Looking at the castle located close to Vienna - “Burg Kreuzenstein” (fig.3)8. It can be seen that a similar concept of enclosed structure is used, surrounding the square (fig. 5)9. Also, small windows on a façade of the castle remind of a row of windows on facades of Karl Marx Hof, as well as the use of colour red in both constructions. In addition, towers and wide semi-circular entries of Karl Marx Hof are creating a feeling of dominance, power, and authority, which are typical representations of a castle.

The facade also acts as a connection between the area inside and outside of the complex, with very close connection to the rail station (fig.2)10. It not only makes a spatial order with a combination of private and public spaces, which gives a fluid passage between the city and Karl-Marx-Hof, but also makes an emphasis on the role of station in the plan of the complex. Looking from the top view, it can be seen how the plan of the complex lies along the length of the rail station (fig. 4)11. Located at the place, where river and rail lines are coming into the city, its red façades are visible for many kilometres. “The Karl-Marx-Hof became an icon of Red Vienna because its elemental forms and colors most powerfully embodied the idea of Red Vienna”. From Eve Blau’s quote, it can be said how strong was political significance of the complex’s structure. This quote brings the symbol of the castle, as castles are considered being the most important architecture in a city, the centre of the city. Castles could be seen from the far representing the city and its political ideology, as Karl Marx Hof is representing the Red Vienna.

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Karl Ehn. Karl-Marx-Hof. n.d. Images. http://housingplus.wikidot.com/printer--friendly//karl-marx-hof.

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Count Nepomuk Wilczek, Burg Kreuzenstein, n.d., https://www.histouring.com/en/historical-places/kreuzenstein-castle/

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Plan of Burg Kreuzenstein, Audsburg, 1996,

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Xavier Duran, Karl-Marx-Hof, (Vienna), n.d., https://pixels.com/featured/karl-marx-hof-vienna-xavier-durn.html

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Ground Plan of Karl-Marx-Hof (Vienna), 2018,

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Fig. 2 “Photo from the satellite of Karl Marx Hof and the area around”

Fig. 4 “Site plan of Karl Marx Hof”

Fig.3 “Photo of Burg Kreuzenstein”

Fig. 5 “Plan if Burg Kreuzenstein”

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In conclusion, Karl Marx Hof is a unique residential building with functional choreography of spaces, fluid circulation in the complex and connection to the city to provide functional and affordable housing for the working class. However, its fortress like structural and symbolic elements, and Karl-Marx-Hof's enormous size, leads to a statement, that it can be considered a defensive structure. Through my research and analysis of etymology, I think the complex is a castle type fortress. Moreover, linking to the history of the building protecting people under the rise of fascism, it united people under one roof. In my opinion, it became the central point of the city, the point of unity for the working class, quoting Paul Hirst, he defined a castle as the centre of a city12. Karl-Marx Hof became not just a residential building, it became a symbol of unity of the society, representing the strength of the working class to the elite. Karl Marx Hof became a castle of the working class.

Word Count: 1596

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Paul Hirst, “The Defence of Places: Fortifications as Architecture [Part 1].” AA Files, no. 33 (1997): 13–26, accessed March 18, 2022, http://www.jstor.org/stable/29544045.

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Bibliography: Beniston, Judith. “Culture and Politics in Red Vienna: Introduction.” Austrian Studies 14 (2006): 1–19. http://www.jstor.org/stable/27944798 Blau, Eve. “Architecture of Red Vienna: 1919-1934”. Cambridge: MA: MIT Press, 1999.

Blau, Eve. “Isotype and Architecture in Red Vienna: The Modern Projects of Otto Neurath and Josef Frank.” Austrian Studies 14 (2006): 227–59. http://www.jstor.org/stable/27944809 Demblin, Franz Claudius, and Walter Cernek. “Innovations for the Improvement of the Urban Environment in Austria.” Ekistics 63, no. 379/380/381 (1996): 199–225. http://www.jstor.org/stable/43623236 Hirst, Paul. “The Defence of Places: Fortifications as Architecture [Part 1].” AA Files, no. 33 (1997): 13–26. http://www.jstor.org/stable/29544045.

Marx, Karl, Cedar Paul, and Eden Paul. “Capital”. London: Dent, 1974.

Rosa, Alberto Asor, Ruth Taylor, Daniele Pisani, and Manuel Orazi. “Manfredo Tafuri, or, Humanism Revisited.” Log, no. 9 (2007): 29–38. http://www.jstor.org/stable/41765132 Sabini, Maurizo. “Wittgenstein’s Ladder: The Non-Operational Value of History in Architecture.” Journal of Architectural Education (1984-) 64, no. 2 (2011): 46–58. http://www.jstor.org/stable/41318777 Saldern, Adelheid von. “The Workers’ Movement and Cultural Patterns on Urban Housing Estates and in Rural Settlements in Germany and Austria during the 1920s.” Social History 15, no. 3 (1990): 333–54. http://www.jstor.org/stable/4285871

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HTS Term 2 Submission Drawing Eseniya Gershman