Design for a Socialist City
Reinhold Rossig (from Ludwig Hilbersheimer class), 1931

The concept of the linear city had already been discussed in the 19th century. It regained its relevance in the late 1920s, especially for Russian architects, who were a source of inspiration for students and teachers at the Bauhaus: As part of his graduation thesis, Reinhold Rossig designed the layout of a linear city that was to interconnect existing cities with the facilities of “a collectivised agriculture”. The rows of houses arranged in right angles parallel to a railway line are alternated with industrial zones; like the leisure facilities located outside the complex, they are connected by means of a subway. Long-distance destinations can be reached by an elevated railway.