Georgsgarten Housing Project, Celle-Architect Otto Haesler 1928

This photograph of the Georgsgarten Housing Project in Celle, with architecture by Otto Haesler, was captured by Arthur Köster. Köster was documenting Neues Bauen architecture. This movement sought to use modern design as a tool for social change, aiming to improve living conditions for all classes. The image is stark. Row upon row of identical housing blocks recede into the night. Small rectangles of light punctuate the darkness, betraying the presence of lives lived within. The photograph evokes a sense of both uniformity and individuality. Mass housing was intended to resolve the deep inequalities of urban life, but also threatened to erase the identities of those it housed. Köster's photograph invites us to consider the relationship between architecture, identity, and social progress. The emotional resonance of the image lies in its depiction of a social experiment. It captures the hopes and anxieties inherent to the creation of modern living spaces.