Capital cities have been the seat of political power and central stage for their states political conflicts and rituals throughout the ages. In the modern era, they provide symbols for and confer meaning to the state, thereby contributing to the invention of the nation. Capitals capture the imagination of natives, visitors and outsiders alike, yet also express the outcomes of power struggles within the political systems in which they operate. This volume addresses the reciprocal relationships between identity, regime formation, urban planning, and public architecture in the Western world. It examines the role of urban design and architecture in expressing (or hiding) ideological beliefs and political agenda.  Case studies include old capitals such as Rome, Vienna, Berlin and Warsaw; new ones such as Washington DC, Ottawa, Canberra, Ankara, Bonn, and Brasília; and the European capital Brussels. Each case reflects the authors different disciplinary backgrounds in architecture, history, political science, and urban studies, demonstrating the value of an interdisciplinary approach to studying cities.

Michael Minkenbergis Professor of Comparative Politics at the European University Viadrina in Frankfurt (Oder). From 2007-2010, he held the Max Weber Chair for German and European Studies at NYU. He has also taught at the Universities of Göttingen and Heidelberg, and at Cornell and Columbia Universities. Minkenberg is author ofThe Radical Right in Europe. An Overview(2008) and co-editor ofTurkish Membership in the European Union the Role of Religion, a special issue ofComparative European Politics (2012).

Acknowledgments
List of Figures
List of Maps
List of Contributors

Introduction: Power and Architecturethe Construction of Capitals, the Politics of Space, and the Space of Politics: An Introductory Essay
Michael Minkenberg

Chapter 1.Capital Architecture and National Identity
Lawrence J. Vale

Chapter 2.A City of the People, by the People, for the People? Democracy and Capital Building in Washington DC, Ottawa, Canberra and Brasília
Michael Minkenberg

Chapter 3.Capital-building in Post War Germany
Klaus von Beyme

Chapter 4.BerlinThree Centuries as Capital
Christoph Asendorf

Chapter 5.Image, Itinerary and Identity in the Third Rome
Terry Kirk

Chapter 6.A Capital Without A Nation: Red Vienna, Power, and Spatial Politics Between the World Wars
Eve Blau

Chapter 7.The Ruins of Socialism: Reconstruction and Destruction in Warsaw
David Crowley

Chapter 8.State Building as an Urban Experience: The Making of Ankara
Alev Çnar

Chapter 9.Building Capital Mindscapes for the European Union
Carola Hein

Index