Editorial Totalitarianism

Dear readers,

In my mind, the first humans roamed this earth in complete freedom. Over pristine mountains, through valleys where the river had not yet been channeled, and through forests untouched by human chainsaws. I imagine them picking berries, hunting game, and sleeping under the stars. And that they felt free. No one expecting anything of them, no one imposing rules of behaviour, and apart from the wild nature, no one restricting their ultimate freedom. 

With this theme, TOPOS explores how the landscape and its people are transformed when a controlling power is indeed exercised in daily life. Such oppression by the state, whereby individual freedom and daily life are determined and influenced by the state, is called totalitarianism (Britannica Editors, 2026). In addition to intangible changes, such as behaviour, a totalitarian state also has a profound impact on the landscape in which it operates. After all, a landscape reflects the Zeitgeist.  

For many, the concept of ‘the totalitarian state’ will bring to mind history lessons: the Third Reich in Germany, the communist state in Russia, and fascism in Italy and Spain. Outside Europe, Mao Zedong’s China and communist Cuba are regarded as classic examples from 20th century totalitarianism. And even today, there are still states that are totalitarian or exhibit totalitarian behaviour. The difference from a dictatorship lies in the degree of control over society. Whereas an autocrat is ‘merely’ an absolute ruler and holds no accountability to the people, a totalitarian state goes further by seeking to actively influence every aspect of the people’s lives. 

What effects does the desire for total control have on the landscape? Can the landscape be fully controlled at all, or is landscape inherently uncontrollable? Can landscapes oppress? And how do we, as designers, deal with ‘guilty landscapes’, if such things exist? It is the current state of the world that makes such a subject relevant. These are the questions that must be asked when concepts such as ‘freedom’ and ‘democracy’ no longer seem as self-evident as they once were. 

With kindest regards, 

Geert Walinga

Chair of TOPOS

De Boer, L. (2025). [sunset at Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe].