Political Tensions and Bauhaus Design
At a time of political tension in Germany, the Bauhaus – one of the most influential architecture, art, and design schools in the world – has become a target of far-right attacks.
Hans-Thomas Tillschneider, a member of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) and a member of the regional parliament of Saxony-Anhalt, has controversially blamed his area’s economic problems on Bauhaus modernism. His remarks came in response to the regional conservative CDU government’s “think modern” campaign, which aims to attract investment by citing Bauhaus as a local success story. Tillschneider argued that to resolve economic stagnation, “we do not need to think modern, we need to think conservatively.” He dismissed Bauhaus ideas as tainted with communist ideology.
The Historical Context of Bauhaus
Founded in 1919 by Walter Gropius in Weimar, the Bauhaus promoted a program of material utopianism through innovative teaching methods. Its politically left-leaning stance made it vulnerable to ideological attacks during the Weimar Republic, Germany’s first democracy. The Bauhaus artists occupied a precarious position in the heated debate about national identity that followed the end of the monarchy in 1918.
The Bauhaus was caught between two opposing artistic ideologies: one embracing modern aesthetics like impressionism and expressionism, and the other advocating for a conservative, nationalist approach to art.
The Cultural Clash
The Bauhaus movement sought to democratize art, promoting accessibility and experimentation. Yet, its products often remained unaffordable to the masses. Amidst rising tensions, the school relocated from Weimar to Dessau in 1925 after losing funding due to disputes with conservative parties.
In Dessau, Bauhaus teachers constructed a building embodying their modern aesthetic principles. Despite attempts to depoliticize the school, debates about architecture's role in society persisted. The arrival of openly socialist architect Hannes Meyer in 1928 further shifted the school leftward.
The Nazi Threat and Legacy
The Nazis posed an existential threat to the Bauhaus, demanding its destruction after local elections in 1931. The school relocated to Berlin in 1932, continuing as a private institution to avoid conflict. However, when Hitler rose to power in 1933, the Bauhaus was closed, and many of its members fled to the United States, contributing to the international modernism movement.
Despite the Bauhaus's diverse artistic influences, postwar discourse simplified its legacy to geometric shapes and a specific color palette. The Nazis labeled its aesthetics as “degenerate,” while the East German government criticized its cosmopolitan nature.
Recent Political Maneuvering
In the centennial year of the Bauhaus's move to Dessau, Tillschneider leveraged this moment to further the AfD's culture war, portraying the CDU's interpretation of Bauhaus as anti-German. This rhetoric reflects the nativist sentiments that fuel the AfD, exploiting public anxieties regarding Germany’s cultural identity.
By Karin Schreiter, Senior Lecturer in German and History at King’s College London
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