Juliane Richter

Global construction companies impact our futures. Yet, the role of these global players and their persistent presence in different regions has barely been reflected upon. This project uses German construction companies as a prism to address a wide spectrum of economic, political, environmental or cultural impacts in specific local contexts throughout the long 20th century and aims to critically analyse success stories and moments of failure. This choice is triggered by the label ‘Made in Germany’, which was established in the late colonial period and remains an unquestioned marker of quality. Focusing on production cycles, the research team scrutinises global flows of capital, labour, know-how and construction materials, primarily in West and Southern Africa as well as Latin America.<br/><br/> more info

This dissertation project explores the planning and construction history of GDR building projects in Cuba within the context of transnational networks and the exchange of technology, materials, and ideas. The study spans from the first trade and credit agreement between the GDR and Cuba in 1960 to the collapse of the state-socialist countries of Eastern Europe in 1990, which resulted in Cuba losing its most important foreign trading partners. Despite the close relations between Cuba and the GDR within the Council for Mutual Economic Assistance (COMECON), many of these building projects remain largely unexplored. more info