The Bauhaus is possibly the most famous of the German movements. Emerging in the early 1900s, and incorporating all mediums of art, from crafts, to painting, to architecture, the Bauhaus school became the most influential aspect of post WWI German art. The artists of the Bauhaus were fascinated with the new machines and industrialization of the 20th century and sought to create an art that incorporated the beauty of the machine with strong basic design. Walter Gropius founded the Bauhaus School in Dessau, a landmark that still operates as a school of art and architecture. However, tributes to this monumental movement can be seen all over Germany. The works of artist such as Paul Klee and Ludwig Mies van der Rohe can be found in art museums in any major German city, but the main tribute to Bauhaus is in the capital city of Berlin. There you will find the Bauhaus-Archiv Museum, a showcase of the finest works produced in this style.
Germany also provided the showcase for the Die Brücke and Blau Reiter artists that emerged during the expressionist period, many who were also leaders in the Bauhaus movement. These artists came together through a mutual hatred of the hypocrisy and the decadence of the ruling elite. The artists to be wanted their work to be the bridge to to a new society in which the masses wouldn't be dominated by the corrupt elite. While Die Bruecke was the center of the art movement in Berlin, Der Blau Reiter (The Blue Rider) was the Munich counterpart to this Expressionist movement. Wasily Kadinsky and Paul Klee (Klee created over 10,000 works in his life) were busy in Munich while Ernst Ludwig Kirchner's works exemplify the traits of this style and emphasize the isolation and emotion that the typical citizen felt. His works, as well as those of other Brücke artists can be found in the Stadelmuseum in Frankfurt, which hosts the most comprehensive collection of Kirchner's works. The Brücke Museum in Berlin is also worth a visit as it provides a comprehensive display of this type of German Expressionism. While in Munich, visit the Lenbachhaus Museum to see the incredible collection of art by the Blue Rider group.
Dada is yet another movement that formed in Germany in the last century. Dada emerged in the interim between the two World Wars as a reaction against what the artists saw as the senseless violence of the first Great War. It became a "senseless" art, rejecting all form and function that had previously been established. The Germans led the way in this. The Berlin Dada was the birthplace of the photomontage, photograph collages that are now an established art form. Through the works of Hannah Hoch, George Grosz, and Kurt Schwitters the Germans established Dada as an international art form. The works that these artists created can now be found around the world, but the majority have never left Germany. The Sprengelmuseum in Hannover has an extensive showcase of Kurt Schwitter's Merz series, a series that has come to symbolize the Dada movement.
For modern art lovers, Germany may well be one of the most interesting places to visit. That the artists and their works survived the Nazis is a testament in and of itself to the endurance of art. During one of the most turbulent times in history, these artists moved forward with revolutionary and controversial works that are a tribute to the strength of the human spirit.
Article Written by Allison Holmes and Patricia Combs