The reconstruction of historic landmark buildings is often framed as a commitment to historical awareness, architectural beauty, and the restoration of urban space. Yet these seemingly apolitical facades also seek to reshape our understanding of history and society: in a populist vein, the pre-1918 era is idealized, historical ruptures are downplayed, and established identities are overwritten.

Following a brief overview of developments in the Federal Republic of Germany since World War II, the lecture focuses on prominent case studies from the last two decades. It demonstrates how far-right actors have been involved in projects such as the Berlin Palace and the Garrison Church in Potsdam and how their ideology has entered the mainstream discourse. Counterexamples illustrate how reconstruction can occur without romanticized idealizations. The German case serves as an example of broader global trends, with comparable phenomena found in Hungary, Russia, India, and the United States.

Philipp Oswalt is an architect, writer, and Professor of Architectural Theory and Design at the University of Kassel since 2006. From 1988 to 1994, he was an editor at the architecture journal ARCH+. In 1996–97, he worked at the OMA/Rem Koolhaas, and from 2009 to 2014, he served as director of the Bauhaus Dessau Foundation. He has led and co-led research projects and initiatives with significant cultural political impact including Urban Catalyst (2001–2003), ZwischenPalastNutzung/Volkspalast (2004), Schrumpfende Städte (Federal Cultural Foundation, 2002–2008), Projekt Bauhaus (2015–2019), and the UNI Kassel’s Research Center for the History of Ecological Building (since 2024). He is co-initiator of civic initiatives on architecture and the city in Berlin, Potsdam, Kassel, and Frankfurt am Main.