Roland Rainer (Un)Disputed

Roland Rainer (1910–2004) numbers among the most notable Austrian architects of the Second Republic. The first three decades of his career as an architect are indicative of his ability to adapt in different political systems.

To this day, Roland Rainer’s role and career during the Nazi era and its impact after 1945 is still a controversial topic of discussion in a context of city planning in Vienna. As a result of the acquisition of Roland Rainer’s estate by the Az W, unrestricted access is available to the original source material for the first time. In 2017, in cooperation with the Academy of Fine Arts Vienna, there was an exploration of the biographical source material in German and Austrian archives with a focus on the period from 1936–1945.

Now, this Autumn, an exhibition and a symposium provide the framework for the presentation and discussion of the first findings of this research. Both events serve as an overture to a re-evaluation and more intense engagement with Rainer’s oeuvre.

Curators: Monika Platzer/ Az W, Ingrid Holzschuh