ÖZKD - Österreichische Zeitschrift für Kunst und Denkmalpflege 3/2025: Vienna's Lost Heritage of "Alte-Leute-Siedlungen". Tracing Intangible Values of a Post-War Social Housing Experiment
Author
Editors
Publisher, Location, Date
Verlag der Österreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften, Wien, Österreich, 01 December 2025
Keywords
social housing, urban research, municipal housing, heritage values
ISBN/ISSN/ISMN, DOI
- ISBN/ISSN/ISMN:
- ISSN 0029-9626 / ISBN 978-3-7001-5040-4
Text
In the 1950s, the City of Vienna ventured an experiment in social housing, building one- and two-storey apartment blocks for elderly residents in more than thirty municipal housing estates—an innovative response to the post-war housing crisis and an ageing society. These Alte-Leute-Siedlungen enabled barrier-free, self-determined living within the social fabric of the Gemeindebau (municipal housing), supported by open spaces that fostered social interaction and neighbourly care. Once seen as a model internationally, these settlements are now largely forgotten. Many no longer serve their original purpose, and only a few are protected as heritage. Yet their core idea—age-appropriate housing embedded in supportive urban communities—remains highly relevant. This article calls for renewed recognition of these settlements as a vital part of post-war social housing history and argues that the lessons they offer are essential for addressing today’s and tomorrow’s housing challenges.
Volume/Issue, Pages
3/2025
Activity List
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- Bundesdenkmalamt: 20th Century Housing Heritage in Europe. Conserving, Participating, and Adapting. Österreichische Akademie der Wissenschaften. 2025-12-01 -
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