In the Wake of War

This is the first comprehensive study of the rebuilding of West Germany's cities following the Second World War. Diefendorf presents a wealth of material on all aspects of reconstruction - from the bombing that caused the massive destruction and the clearing away of debris to urban planning, architecture, and execution. He examines continuities in urban planning and architecture that lead back into the Nazi era and before, arguing that it was precisely these continuities that made rapid reconstructions possible.