A return to the idealism of the Enlightenment was the message of Emil Kaufmann (1891-1953), a Viennese art historian, addressed to modern architecture in the dark European year of 1933. Separation from social reality, if that social reality is fascism, is the only way to save the humanity of architecture. In such circumstances, this book makes a demand for architectural autonomy, as a necessary and only means of survival of liberal ideals. And it is precisely in this request, in Kaufmann’s courage to make this request, that the powerful metaphor of this unique work is hidden.

The DOBROLET library – a space of architectural criticism was launched in 2017 in cooperation with the Society of Architects of Istria – Società architetti dell’Istria and the publishing house Sandorf with the intention of introducing critical theoretical concepts of architecture into a broader thought context.