The exhibition “Bauhaus and Politics” at the Museum Neues Weimar is dedicated to the political dimension of the famous avant-garde school from 1919 to 1933. The Bauhaus is not only considered a pioneering institution for art, architecture and design, but was also a field of experimentation for social utopias and dealing with different political systems. After the drastic experiences of the First World War and the upheaval of the Weimar Republic, students and teachers sought new, liberal and democratic ways of shaping society. The presentation focuses on how the Bauhaus in Weimar, Dessau and Berlin constantly had to come to terms with the respective political conditions and how contemporary events had a direct impact on developments within the school.
The exhibition shows in a particularly impressive way that the question of the freedom of science and art remains highly topical both then and now. The Bauhaus, which was forced to dissolve itself in August 1933 under pressure from the Nazi regime, is an example of the challenging balancing act between artistic innovation and political adaptation. The examination of different political systems underlines the extent to which social and political conditions influence the existence and development of cultural institutions. The exhibition invites visitors to reflect anew on the significance of these freedoms and shows how relevant an open, diverse society is for the creativity and further development of science and art.
