Karl Ehn - Austria
Apartment Building Karl-Marx-Hof
Heiligenstädter Strasse, Grinzinger Strasse, Boschstrasse, Geistingergasse
1927 - 1933

The Karl Marx Hof by the architect Karl Ehn is considered to be one of the most famous social housing projects of the Red Vienna period.
This very larges superblock is located in the 19th district of Vienna (Döbling). The buildings were errected on a piece of land, which earlier was
a navigable arm of the river dobre. By the year 1750 there remained just some ponds, wich were filled in so that this ground could be used for gardening.
The building was errected between 1927 and 1933 - the official opening ceremony was held already on october 12 1930.
At the time of its construction, there were 1382 apartments in the Karl Marx Hof, housing around 5000 inhabitants.
At this time, each flat was equiped with a toilet and running water, but no bathroom.

The building area of the Karl Marx Hoff occupied only 20 percent of the 150`000 square meter plot. The remainig area is used
as gardening and leisure zone. Karl Marx Hof is considered to be a city within the city, which is entered by the court of honor and large gates.
The buildings contained numerous shared facilities as laundries, baths, playschools, a library, ambulance offices and commercial areas.
There are four stops of the tramway to cover the 1100 m long building, which is the longest continious apartment building of the world.

 The Karl Marx Hof was badly damaged during the second world war. The repair works were carried out in the 1950.
In the 1980s the Karl Marx Hof was largely reorganized.