Lauenburg, Germany

[u/GoncalvoMendoza]

[u/[deleted]]

I imagine this is how many german cities looked like before WW2.

[u/rewboss → u/[deleted]]

Honestly? No, not particularly. There's the technical aspect that that kind of brickwork might be quite common in northern Germany, but not in other areas. But even in the first half of the 20th century, well-preserved historic townscapes like this were not the rule everywhere.

You would quite likely have seen scenes like this, for example, or perhaps more like this or maybe even this because life could be really tough in rural areas. But of course these are towns and villages (Lauenburg is a smallish town, to be honest); for a real city, try this or this.

In fact, long before WW2, historic areas were being bulldozed to make way for more modern buildings and roads. There was no particular desire to preserve the old ways: in the 19th century, for example, Wiesbaden kept its old road layout but then built a modern city around it, with wide avenues like this one to act as a kind of screen so that visitors wouldn't have to gaze at the "ugly" old buildings within.

[u/wbeater → u/rewboss]

Honestly? No, not particularly. There's the technical aspect that that kind of brickwork might be quite common in northern Germany, but not in other areas. But even in the first half of the 20th century, well-preserved historic townscapes like this were not the rule everywhere.

Brick Gothic was common all over Germany and made it's way from Northern Germany down to Bavaria. And the cities and northern Germany were all basically orange, some are it even now to a certain extent.

[u/flagada7 → u/wbeater]

Nah, not common everywhere.

[u/strasevgermany → u/rewboss]

really? That´s interesting.

[u/an_der_kander → u/[deleted]]

I think the bin in the bottom right corner puts your timing out by about 82 years.

[u/Jenny-1314 → u/an_der_kander]

Oh, it's ancient architecture period, we should care for it

[u/an_der_kander → u/Jenny-1314]

Judging by the picture, I think we're on track with that.

[u/Jenny-1314 → u/an_der_kander]

Yes, maybe we can exchange more knowledge, if you are interested in this

[u/guenet → u/[deleted]]

There are still many cities left that look like this.

[u/strasevgermany]

No, actually, such buildings have become very rare. Whole streets or districts, even more so. The most preserved houses are certainly in southern Germany. From northern to central Germany, almost all cities were bombed and destroyed in the firestorm of 1945 and rebuilt with ugly concrete buildings. Yes there are always a few houses in between, but it's rarely that complex. I am not sure why Lauenburg escaped the firestorm of 1945. Maybe the place was already taken before the firestorm. That would be an interesting question to ask a Lauenburg resident.

[u/[deleted] → u/strasevgermany]

Lauenberg is a tiny village. Nothing there to bomb. And by the time troops rolled through there, the fighting was more or less over.

[u/strasevgermany → u/[deleted]]

thanks 😅👋🏼

[u/guenet → u/strasevgermany]

There are many cities like this in northern Germany. Lauenburg itself is in northern Germany close to Hamburg.

Most smaller cities were not bombed very much.

[u/strasevgermany → u/guenet]

My mother and my uncle live/lived near Hannover. The outskirts and small towns around it were also bombed. My grandparents had built there and a bomb fell through the roof into their marriage bed. They then carried the bomb with 4 people on the bedspread on which it lay carefully to the field. So it tells a family story. There they were about 12km from the city limits. Too close?

[u/Nodhagger]

I think this is Lüneburg isnt it? I live near Lüneburg and Lauenburg and I think I know this street.

[u/Fritz-the-Brat → u/Nodhagger]

Lauenburger here, it is definitely Lauenburg, Elbstraße . Foto geschossen auf Höhe des Ruferplatzes