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Berlin's influential Senate building director, Hans Stimmemann, dies at the age of 84
Hansstimmann, Berlin's influential Senate building director, died on August 30, 2025. He left a lasting influence on the city's architecture.
Berlin's influential Senate building director, Hans Stimmemann, dies at the age of 84
Hansstimmann, the former Berlin Senate Building Director, died in Lübeck on August 30, 2025 at the age of 84. This was confirmed by the Senate Chancellery and the Berlin-Brandenburg Architects and Engineers Association. Stimmemann leaves an important legacy in Berlin's architectural history, particularly through his significant role in the city's development after reunification.
During his 15 years in office, Stimmemann had a significant impact on Berlin's building policy. Offered by Wolfgang Nagel (SPD), he was appointed Senate Building Director in 1991. Between 1996 and 1999 he served as State Secretary for Planning in the Senate Department for Urban Development, Environmental Protection and Technology before taking up the position of Senate Construction Director again and remaining until 2006.
Influential concepts
Stimmemann began his professional career as a bricklayer and was actively involved in the reconstruction of Berlin's city center. Important projects such as Potsdamer Platz, Friedrichstrasse and City West bear witness to his commitment. He implemented the concept of “critical reconstruction,” which arose in response to the challenges of urban redevelopment after the fall of the Wall. The aim was to preserve historical urban structures and promote sustainable urban development.
The concept of critical reconstruction, which was developed under the leadership of Josef Paul Kleihues and first used at the International Building Exhibition in Berlin in the 1980s, experienced a renaissance under Stimmemann's influence. This approach aimed to revive architectural styles and typologies established before World War II and to promote a pedestrian-centered urban lifestyle.
Criticism and support
Stimmemann's approaches received both praise and criticism. While traditionalists supported his plans, avant-garde architects such as Daniel Libeskind and Rem Koolhaas expressed their skepticism. His architectural specifications included, among other things, closed rows of houses on traditional streets and a limitation on building heights.
Despite the controversy surrounding projects such as the redesign of Friedrichstrasse and Potsdamer Platz, many of Stimmemann's principles, such as block edge development and the regulation of the eaves height of around 22 meters, are still relevant. His idea of clear building regulations was not only met with approval, but was also perceived as a restriction on creative architecture. Critics accuse him of missing opportunities for more progressive architectural solutions.
Its influence on the cityscape was recognized by many prominent personalities, including Berlin's Governing Mayor Kai Wegner (CDU) and former mayor Klaus Wowereit (SPD). These recognized his crucial role in the growing together of East and West and the conscious protection of Berlin's identity through his work.
Stimmemann received the Cross of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany in 2009 and remains a central figure in the discussion about the balance between tradition and modernity in urban planning. Even after his resignation in 2006, he continued to be active in the urban debate, in which the challenges of changing urbanity are on the table.