© Hans-Juergen Breuning
During the post-WW II economic boom, the single-family home became a symbol of prosperity and upward mobility. Politicians dedicated to the middle class, such as Konrad Adenauer, even saw it as a political tool – a bulwark against Bolshevism. Back then, the single-family home included a well-dressed garden and (at least in Switzerland) an air-raid shelter to protect against the effects of an impending Cold War. Meanwhile the refrigerator, washing machine, television set, and car promised to make everyday life more pleasant.