Architects of Fortune: Mies Van Der Rohe and the Third Reich - Tapa dura

Mies van der Rohe, the inventor of the steel and glass skyscraper whose image has shaped the modern world is generally regarded as the most important architect of the 20th century. However opinions regarding the moral and aesthetic implications of his architectural vision which now straddles the globe are less than unanimous. By examining the nature of his relationship with the Nazis, this book offers an insight not only into the relationship between art and politics at a particularly important moment in history but also into the moral and aesthetic assumptions underlying today's modern landscape. In claiming that the founder of modernism was deeply influenced by the Germany of the Third Reich, this book will lend weight to the view now being expressed by Prince Charles and many others that modernist architecture is inherently authoritarian and anti-humanist. Elaine Hochman is a member of the faculty of the New School and a founder of "Art Ventures International".