The town hall complex of the city of Marl by the Dutch architects Bakema and van den Broek is extremely unusual in the context of its creation and the demands placed on it. Whether from a social, architectural or aesthetic point of view, the belief in progress and the will to innovate in post-war urban society are evident in its structural disposition, construction and materiality. After long discussions in the political committees, but also in the population of Marl about its preservation, the building was placed under monument protection in 2015 and its comprehensive renovation was decided, which began in 2018. The lecture is dedicated to the history of the building and its importance in the context of architectural history.

V.-Prof. Dr. Alexandra Apfelbaum (*1977) has been working in her own office as a freelance art and architecture historian since 2009. Since 2018 she has held the deputy professorship for history and theory of architecture and the city at the Dortmund University of Applied Sciences. She is also co-founder and chairwoman of the Initiative ruhrmoderne e.V.. Her focus is the research on the interfaces between architecture and art of the 20th century with a focus on North Rhine-Westphalia and the post-war period. She has also curated and published numerous exhibitions and publications on architects and their work.