Theo Deutinger's 'Handbook of Tyranny' Dissects the Architecture of Oppression
Theo Deutinger's fourth edition of 'Handbook of Tyranny' (Lars Müller, 2023) catalogs the infrastructure of authoritarian control, from crowd-control technologies and prison design to walls and fences. The book, designed by Brendan McGetrick, examines how nature is weaponized in a chapter on 'Green Fortress,' detailing prickly and dense trees used for containment. Deutinger notes that crowd density of six people per square meter causes bodies to behave like fluid, and that crowd control often prioritizes avoiding negative media coverage over preventing disasters. The DMZ between North and South Korea is highlighted as an inadvertent wildlife preserve. The book argues that all governments, democratic or autocratic, share similar security toolkits, with the key difference being how repressively they are applied.
Key facts
- Handbook of Tyranny is in its fourth edition, published by Lars Müller in 2023.
- The book is written by Theo Deutinger, an architect and developer of sociocultural concepts.
- Brendan McGetrick is the writer, curator, and designer of the book.
- The book includes a chapter 'Green Fortress' on using vegetation for control.
- Six people per square meter is the threshold where crowds lose control.
- The DMZ between North and South Korea is described as an inadvertent park and one of the world's best-preserved natural habitats.
- Deutinger states prison cell design reflects a country's level of prosperity, democracy, and humanity.
- The book argues all governments use the same tools of architecture and design to maintain control.
Entities
Artists
- Theo Deutinger
- Brendan McGetrick
Institutions
- Lars Müller
- PRINT Magazine
Locations
- Russia
- Middle East
- Africa
- India
- United States
- North Korea
- South Korea