In October 2024, the first international conference of the ETOM NEB-Lab was realised in co-organization with KÉK in the city of Halle an der Saale. This international platform, established within the framework of the New European Bauhaus and called the European Triennial of Modernism, aims to address the sustainability, development, and research of 20th-century modern built heritage.

The partner network was established in 2024 at the initiative of KÉK and the Trienal de Moderne organisation, and it already includes 10 NEB community members, with representatives from 30 additional organizations across 14 countries. The project's motto, “Diverse Modernism / Modern Diversity,” reflects the planned annual collaborations and international events. The first milestone was marked by the conference in Halle.

A shared heritage of the Central-Eastern European bloc is the post-war housing estates. These often standardized, prefabricated panel housing estates can be found in almost every city. While their heritage value is often questionable, they are unique imprints of urban planning concepts from the second half of the 20th century's innovative urban design. Over the past 60-50-40 years, these housing estates have undergone many changes, from energy modernization to social rehabilitation. Housing remains a global issue today, and by studying the architectural and urban planning legacy of this recent historical period, valuable answers can be found for current problems.

The conference took place on 14-15 October 2024 in the German city of Halle. In the GDR territory city, the new district of Halle Neustadt, built in 1964, is celebrating its 60th anniversary this year. On this occasion, the conference examined the issue of post-war housing estates in four sections:

1. Origins | Future Cities – emerging futures

2. Transitions | Transforming Realities – alterations of decline and renewal

3. Contemporary | Domains of Activism – histories of activism

4. Upcoming | Agencies of Tomorrow – local and planetary challenges

In each section, invited international speakers gave short presentations, followed by the active involvement of the audience to further explore the topic, gather insights, and propose solutions. Additionally, there was an introductory round table and several smaller presentations on the history of Halle. Each day featured a major lecture, with an architectural theory writer and researcher, Joanna Kusiak, presenting on the first day, followed by Lenka Burgerova, architect and deputy mayor of Prague's 7th district, showcasing local initiatives on the second day. During the breaks of these (very) intensive two days, networking was emphasized, forming new partnerships, potential collaborations, and project ideas. Naturally, there was also the opportunity to get acquainted with the city through guided architectural walks. 

Hungarian experts participated in all four sections, organized by KÉK, presenting domestic insights. Hartmann Gergely introduced the architecture of Salgótarján in the Origins (Section 1) session. In the Transitions (Section 2) topic, Regina Balla Ph.D. presented the possibilities for developing Budapest's housing estates. Among the Contemporary (Section 3) presentations, Barbara Szij, KÉK curator, showcased the lessons of modernism-related projects organized by us. Finally, in the Upcoming (Section 4) block, Zoltán Erő, Chief Architect of Budapest, discussed the background of placing post-war heritage under the Metropolitan Local Protection. The organization of the conference and moderation of the second session involved Eszter Dávida, KÉK director, and János Klaniczay, KÉK curator. 

During the trip, part of the Hungarian team had the opportunity to spend half a day in Berlin. We visited the modernist houses of the InterBau neighborhood built in 1957, the Potsdamer Platz area which embodies contemporary urban planning concepts of the turn of the millennium, and the controversially reconstructed Humboldt Forum building. On the way home, we stopped for a brief visit to Dessau, where in addition to touring the Bauhaus school building, we also viewed the master's houses.

The intensive conference and informative site visits contributed to the professional development of the participants, but more importantly, in the field of international relations, KÉK once again demonstrated how professionally it can organize partnerships around specific themes. Following our return, several new projects have already begun development in collaboration with the experts we met in Halle. The recordings of the presentations will soon be available online, and a conference volume will be prepared from the studies and round table insights by early next year.

The ETOM NEB-Lab will be organizing further events in the near future, which will be reported on KÉK platforms.

János Klaniczay