Old and new Europe
These National Socialist maps were specially created for the ‘Autobahn und Wasserstrasse’ exhibition for Danube vassal states, organized by Reich Minister Todt (Armaments and Ammunition) in Budapest, Belgrade, Sofia, and Bucharest in 1942. On the left we see ‘Old Europe’, with its rivalling nation-states in a variety of colours. The British maritime superpower, covering almost all of Europe with its trading tentacles, stands out. ‘New Europe’ on the right is superior to its old counterpart. This utopian map no longer distinguishes between states by colour, and the border between the German Reich and the Soviet Union has disappeared, too. In the new areas, a ‘peace initiative’ follows the ‘sword’ of conquest and subjugation. This new order intends to ensure central Berlin has agricultural and industrial transport connections with its hinterland, in particular the new ‘Lebensraum’ in the East. In this integrated Europe, Hoffmann precisely emphasizes the continental routes – railways, waterways, and motorways –that will provide the bulk of modern transport.
R. Hoffmann, Das alte Europa: zerrissen und abhängig von England. Das neue Europa: ein freier Organismus, in: Monatschrift der Reichsarbeitsgemeinschaft für Raumforschung, 6e Jhrg.
