Numerous historic power station buildings are impressive records of an era when Berlin was Europe's most important industrial city. The Berliner Elektrizitatswerke AG (Bewag) today has at its disposal a unique portfolio of treasured industrial architecture, the majority of which is meanwhile awaiting reutilisation. The book not only relates the story of Berlin's power station architecture, but also describes the enormous development potential that is connected with reutilising historic industrial architecture. With the example of an existing project's achievements, the creative possibilities are highlighted for reutilisation that preserves the building heritage and remains economically viable. In detail and with many illustrations, power stations now taken out of service are introduced and possibilities for their reuse are described. The book presents a comprehensive history of "Electropolis Berlin", from its beginnings, as well as insights for the future. Book jacket.

West Germany from 1949 to 1990 was a story of virtually unparalleled political and economic success. This economic miracle incorporated a well-functioning political democracy, expanded to include a "social partnership" system of economic representation. Then the Wall came down. Economic crisis in the East—industrial collapse, massive layoffs, a demoralized workforce—triggered gloomy predictions. Was this the beginning of the end for the widely admired "German model"? Lowell Turner has extensively researched the German transformation in the 1990s. Indeed, in 1993 he was at the factory gates at Siemens in Rostock for the first major strike in post-Cold War eastern Germany. In that strike, and in a series of other incisively analyzed workplace and job developments in eastern Germany, he shows the remarkable resilience and flexibility of the German social partnership and the contribution of its institutions to unification. His controversial and, to some, radical findings will stimulate debate at home and abroad.