Franz Dischinger (1887–1953) is considered to be one of the most important German civil engineers of the 20th century. He significantly influenced the development of building, especially on the fields of shell and suspension bridge design as well as constructions in prestressed concrete. His professional achievements quickly gained wide recognition, not least his ground-breaking contributions to the theories of concrete creep and shrinkage. Nevertheless, a scientific examination of his oeuvre is still lacking.Being a leading engineer in the important construction firm Dyckerhoff & Widmann as well as professor at the Technische Hochschule Berlin-Charlottenburg since 1933, Dischinger furthermore was intensely integrated into influential circles. At the same time he counts among that generation of civil engineers, whose activity was caught in a crossfire of differing socio-political force fields – reaching, so to speak, from Weimar via Berlin to Bonn. Especially Dischinger’s projects for the Third Reich raise fundamental questions about the mechanisms of putting engineering into service for the rulers as well as their later reception. Investigations referring to this topic are also still rare for the civil engineers occupational group.Working and works of Dischinger will be examined for the first time systematically in the course of this research project. Besides the compilation of a catalogue raissoné and its valuation regarding construction history, the analysis of his biography with simultaneous consideration of the contemporary context will be a main goal of our work. In this regard, certain attention will be given especially to his involvement in networks on the fields of industry, politics and technical intelligence. At the same time, and based on Dischinger’s case, fundamental ideas of responsibility and guiding principles of his contemporary German civil engineers will be traced.

Administration
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Werner Lorenz

Person in charge
Dr.-Ing. Roland May

Handling period
Since october 2009

Funding
German Research Foundation (DFG)

Preliminary project
November 2007–Mai 2008
Finanzierung Vorprojekt
Innovationsfonds der BTU

Graduate Theses

• Schulte, C.J.: Externe Vorspannung von Beton – Der Beitrag Franz Dischingers aus heutiger Sicht. Bachelorarbeit an der BTU Cottbus, 2012.

Symposium
International Symposium „Shell Pioneers“, Technische Universität Berlin, 18. und 19.10.2012 (in Kooperation mit dem Fachgebiet Entwerfen und Konstruieren – Massivbau der TU Berlin).