Key facts
- The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party is criticizing the Bauhaus art movement ahead of a state election in Saxony-Anhalt.
- AfD describes Bauhaus as an "aberration of modernism" and a symbol of "lack of identity."
- The party proposes replacing the state's advertising tagline "Think Modern" with "Think German."
- Germany's Culture Minister Wolfram Weimer is leading efforts to defend Bauhaus, drawing parallels to Nazi-era attacks.
- The national government will continue to finance the Bauhaus Foundation regardless of the election outcome.
- A pro-Bauhaus manifesto has been signed by over 2,500 groups and individuals in response to the AfD's attacks.
The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party has intensified its criticism of the iconic Bauhaus art movement, labeling it an "aberration of modernism" and a symbol of "lack of identity." These attacks come as the party seeks to gain an absolute majority in the Saxony-Anhalt state election, potentially impacting cultural freedom and funding.
In its election program, the AfD slams Bauhaus for avoiding "national rootedness" and proposes replacing the state's current advertising tagline "Think Modern" with "Think German." AfD spokesperson Hans-Thomas Tillschneider claimed the school "violated the human need for security and comfort." However, a lead AfD candidate, Ulrich Siegmund, recently attempted to moderate the party's rhetoric, suggesting that while Bauhaus is not the problem, culture should not be limited to it.
Germany's Culture Minister Wolfram Weimer is leading the defense of Bauhaus, drawing parallels between the AfD's rhetoric and the language used by Nazis who shut down the school a century ago. Weimer vowed that the national government would continue to finance the Bauhaus Foundation in Dessau to ensure its independence, even if the AfD wins the state election.
Founded in 1919, the Bauhaus school significantly influenced global design and remains a cultural icon. After the Nazis came to power in 1933, the school was closed, and many associated with it emigrated, spreading its style worldwide. The Bauhaus Dessau Foundation's director, Barbara Steiner, welcomed a pro-Bauhaus manifesto signed by over 2,500 groups and individuals, which rejects nationalism hostile to culture and champions Bauhaus's values of openness, exchange, and transnational networking.