Building Socialism

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The book delves into the ambitious efforts of Vietnamese and East German urban planners to reconstruct Vinh as a model socialist city after extensive U.S. bombing. Through comprehensive research, it highlights the aspirations and challenges faced in creating a utopian urban environment, revealing how initial designs clashed with local realities, leading to unplanned obsolescence. Schwenkel examines the complex relationship between modernist architecture, cultural adaptations, and the broader uncertainties surrounding socialism's future in a postwar context.