Farewell, Katinka

Faithful souls have become rare in our fast-moving times. Only a few people still have the patience to let things mature and stand firm for their values. That's why we are grateful that Katinka Corts has been part of our team for more than a decade. In 2014, she started to build up the German-Architects online magazine: She wrote and edited tirelessly, conducted interviews, traveled to congresses, and took close looks at countless buildings. Every week she delighted her readers with a new newsletter. The reward for this admirable achievement: German-Architects became an integral part of Germany's architectural media landscape.

Katinka designed German-Architects true to her convictions. She was as enthusiastic about contemporary architectural developments as she was about technical innovations in the construction sector. As a native of Leipzig, she put East Germany's often overlooked architecture on the map, discussed the newest buildings and competition projects from the region and aroused her readers' interest in East German building history. Thanks to Katinka's efforts, this year's “Eure Besten” evening of short lectures will take place in Mittweida, north of Chemnitz — in the city library that was renovated by the Dresden office Raum und Bau and, in January, received the most votes in the public vote for “Building of the Year.”. 

With the same tenacity, she addressed the impact of the construction industry on the environment, discussed the possible uses of alternative materials with planners and asked — across disciplines — how a change in construction and teaching can take place. In this context, she interviewed thought leader Anna Heringer, met Swiss straw construction expert Paul Schmidt, and also looked at the policy that sets the framework conditions for this “different way of building.”

But Katinka didn't just write about architecture. Her reports from the Zurich Film Festival were captivating. She discussed the work of young filmmakers who deal with ecological issues and questions of social justice. She also repeatedly gave visibility to her passion for drawing when she presented exhibitions by the Tchoban Foundation or invited her readers to contribute their own work. 

After many years as editor-in-chief, Katinka is now starting a new chapter and venturing out on her own. She will continue writing about architecture, for very different target groups, but she also wants to give drawing and illustrating more space and use them in a variety of ways.

We wish her all the best for this next step. However, we won't have to do without her completely: As a freelance author, she will continue to write for German-Architects in the future. [Ed: And, like some of the articles linked above, we will continue to translate relevant articles from Katinka into English for World-Architects.]