Even though this economically optimised method of construction is not an intervention of the former german democratic republic, these apartment blocks are still a symbol of the socialist regime. On the basis of a serious lack of living space after WWII, the government started an ambitious undertaking to create affordable flats for all their workers. Unlike the deteriorating townhouses, these housing projects promised to make the socialist dream come true by offering a higher standard of living that everyone could afford. But, beside the fact that the government ran out of money, this dream has turned into a (dys)functional nightmare. They're perfect reminders of human error and class society.
