Examining the costs of running a modern household in the face of
climate change and dwindling resources
"How are we to live in a way that is healthy and economical?" One answer
to this question was provided by Ernst Jahn's film of the same name
("Wie wohnen wir gesund und wirtschaftlich?," 1926-28), which showed the
kitchen in the Gropius House complete with all the latest domestic
appliances. The Dessau Masters' Houses were not only showcases of "new
living" (Neues Wohnen) but also places where modern methods of
housekeeping could be demonstrated. The topical relevance of this
question was discussed at the 2015 Haushaltsmesse, an international
trade fair on the art of housekeeping and budgeting. In Reserve: The
Household!, which takes a documentary approach to this subject, now
brings together these different viewpoints eyeing the question through
the prism of the problems we face today. In the face of climate change
and dwindling resources, the externalized costs of running a modern
household are back on the (kitchen) table. The book is a compilation of
essays by internationally renowned anthropologists, economists, artists,
architects, historians, and cultural studies experts and also contains a
wealth of historical documents and photographs.
