These are the proceedings of a January 1983 symposium organized by the American University of Beirut and the Goethe Institute at a midpoint in the Lebanese Civil War when the Beirut city center was being cleared of the destructive effects of the war in preparation for reconstruction. The ten papers address the damage sustained during the first part of the civil war, and make recommendations for reconstruction. Lessons from the post-World War II reconstruction of Europe and an overview of Beirut's previous history are included. This publication contains thirteen illustrations, four maps, and twenty-one photos.