Cambodia
Cambodia was placed under French colonial rule in 1863, later becoming part of French Indochina along with what is now Vietnam and Laos. In 1953, the country gained independence from France and was heavily modernized under the leadership of head of state Prince Norodom Sihanouk and the Sangkum Reastr Niyum (“People’s Socialist Community”), his party-like organization.
The architectural style of New Cambodia, hailed as “New Khmer Architecture,” was a merging of Western modernism with Khmer traditions. In addition, developments in music, dance, literature, and film renewed Cambodian cultural self-understanding and created the myth of a coming Golden Age, which would be connected to the splendor of the historical kingdom of Angkor. Architecture as a discipline did not become established in Cambodia until 1967. In the first few years after independence, architects and planners from abroad—mainly from France—were active in Cambodia, sometimes bringing financial support from their countries of origin. Only gradually did Cambodian architects who had trained abroad return home, sometimes taking on important positions in ministries and in public administration.
The phase of renewal that was implemented under the slogan “Buddhist Socialism” ended in 1970 with the removal of head of state Prince Sihanouk. Cambodia proceeded to sink into chaos. The Vietnam War raged on its borders and within the country itself, while the emerging civil war drove the rural population into the arms of the Khmer Rouge, which invaded the capital Phnom Penh in 1975, taking power on April 17 of that year. The brutal violence of the Khmer Rouge movement was directed in particular against ideas of modernity, progress, and urbanity. Within a few days, the majority of the urban population was deported to the countryside and forced to do rural labor. Between 1.7 and 2.2 million Cambodians died of starvation or were deliberately murdered by the Khmer Rouge.
In 1979, Vietnamese troops ended the Khmer Rouge regime, remaining in the country for ten years. In 1991, a peace agreement was signed under the supervision of the UN, followed by the rebuilding of state structures. This interim period ended in 1993 with the establishment of a new constitution and the restoration of the monarchy. Today, Cambodia is one of the fastest growing economies in the world. This has been accompanied by the rapid capitalization of nature, public space, and common goods. SB/MH/CH/EK
