Although there were more female architects in the GDR than in the FRG—25% of architects in East Germany were women, compared to only about 10% in the West—the men were and remain better known: many are familiar with star architects like Hermann Henselmann, Ulrich Müther, and Wolf-Rüdiger Eisentraut. But which notable female architects from the GDR do we know, and what did they build? The gap in our knowledge and memory is a gender gap. It was difficult for female architects in the GDR to gain visibility alongside their male colleagues. Furthermore, the practice of building within state-run construction combines contributed to female architects being forgotten. Yet they played a key role in large-scale construction projects and also created their own innovative architectural projects. Women built housing estates and living spaces; they designed public squares and prestigious interiors. Artist and art historian Birgit Szepanski presents female architects of the GDR, their biographies, and their buildings, offering a feminist perspective on urban life in the GDR.

Birgit Szepanski is an artist and art historian. Her artistic-scholarly dissertation, Erzählte Stadt, was published by transcript. In her research-based art projects and her art education work, Szepanski advocates for the visibility of women and explores forgotten aspects of memory culture.