Bauhaus: The Face of the 20th Century Overview

Bauhaus, or building house, went through several stages, beginning in the small German province of Weimar and ending in Berlin, Germany. It was the first institution at that time to put new ideas into practical use. Bauhaus combined fine arts and crafts. The objects built in Bauhaus were also aesthetically pleasing. Walter Gropius' utopian ideas of Bauhaus were supported by public funds.

The first and original Bauhaus was instantiated in Weimar, Germany. The founder and director of it was Gropius an excellent architect. Weimar was cultural heart of nation at that time. The school itself was workshop-based training, something quite new for that era. Bauhaus was training students in two ways: as artists and craftsmen. Gropius felt that one cannot understand machine until one understood the tools of one’s crafts (Dot, 00:08:06). The students there learned by making. One interesting ideology of this institution was how crafts were going hand-in-hand with art. This can be speculated in craftsmen classes that were instructed by master craftsman while aesthetical inspirations came from artists. “We should destroy barrier between artist, architecture, design, and sculpture- it is all in one” (Dot). Instructors were no ordinary artists, but prodigies working creatively and uniquely.

In drawing as well as in 3-dimensional design a great stress was put on texture. Students were taught to imitate texture of wood, wool, glass, and etc. They also were asked to build 3-D structures of various materials. At that time they had to use whatever they could find due shortage of money. One of the students even used hair of his girlfriend that’s she cut off. Most of the information was brought up by Dr. Alec Armstrong, former student of Bauhaus.

One thing that definitely should be given more attention is the role of women in Bauhaus. Originally Walter did not mind women entering the institution; however, after number of women increased, Walter disregarded women as he though it could have  been too difficult for women to do metalwork. Later on women were send to pottery, wielding etc. workshops. They were doing what was considered ‘women’s work’(Dot, 17:22). Marianna Brandt was no weaver, but member of metal workshop. She made extraordinary utensils showing women also can do this kind of work.

At that time, Bauhaus moved to producing functional mass production stuff. They were giving accent to primary colors – red, blue, and yellow- and figures-circle, rectangle, and triangle and the theater was inspired by this. The triadic ballet played by theater actors was mesmerizingly unique for me. Theater was a wonderful experience for students to experiment with colors, sculptures, masks, costumes, and architectures.

Exhibition took place as government wanted to know what was going on in Bauhaus. Exhibition had two maintasks:

1. to show results of first years and get attention and

2. reveal transition from expressionistic Bauhaus to later on constructivist Bauhaus (Dot, 00:26:10).

One of the most notorious features was M horn, a house builds on a hill. It was ecologically sound, cheap to build and easy to run (Dot). The purpose of the building was that it was economically affordable for skilled worker. As George Adams has mentioned purpose of this kinds of features was to show economically affordable stuff that everyone could by and thus changing the environment and then altering men to better version of themselves

National socialism became popular. Nazi vs communists. When national socialist party grew stronger in Weimar, Bauhaus lost their support (Dot, 00:30:30). Teachers decided to shut down Bauhaus.

In 1925, Bauhaus reopened in Dessau, an industrial city to the north. it was politically more liberal than Weimar and Richer too. Took more than a year to design new Bauhaus school using advanced construction techniques in glass steel and concrete. Metal replaced wood. Chairs were more for engineering purposes now than aesthetic. One of the icons was vassily chair designed for Kandinsky.

Photography was now not only to capture things but also means of visual communication. Photographers experimented with photo montage, double exposures and over printing. In typography and graphic design brief, bold, simple theme was now popular. “The face of 20th century was designed manufactured and staged at the desert Bauhaus” (Dot, 00:36:17).

The image of now students of Bauhaus was also very interesting. They were seen as punks of Dessau wearing their ponytails, and women wearing trousers. Mothers often told their daughters not to look at students of Bauhaus.

Later on, Ludwig Meis van der Rohe became acting director of Bauhaus. With his teachings center of attention became architecture. Unfortunately, as in Weimar, Nazis gained political power in Dessau and soon Bauhaus was shut down again.

Most thought it was the objects that Nazis were afraid of. However, later on it was discovered that objects made by Bauhaus were not the problem. Objects were still sold during thirties and there was image of Hitler resting in tubular steel chair on postcard. So it was the students, teachers, and the image Bauhaus was creating that dissatisfied the Nazis.

Bauhaus was destroyed.

Last home of Bauhaus was in berlin.  It was depressing. It moved into a factory. Ideologies changed. Teachers decided to shut it. Police ultimately shut it down taking some students away.

In 1933, Nazis gained power. Bauhaus died after 14 years.  

Destroyed Bauhaus did not stop its teachings. Students took their ideas all over the globe. It became more popular in Chicago, America. In new world idea of Bauhaus proved to be more fertile. Oppression by Nazis actually made Bauhaus more popular. Thanks to Gropius, Meis van der Rohe, Albers and others America became the architectural proving ground for the industrialized world.

1. “Bauhaus: The Face of the 20th Century”, uploaded by: Dot, YouTube. 17, may 2020. Available: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OdqSmnGTwHc. [Accessed: Nov. 17, 2022].

2. "Bauhaus." Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, Nov. 8, 2022. Available:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bauhaus. [Accessed: Nov. 16, 2022].