Bauhaus in the focus: price -suspect exhibition in Weimar!

Bauhaus in the focus: price -suspect exhibition in Weimar!

Weimar, Deutschland - On June 2, 2025, the renowned award of the Justus Bier Prize for the annual exhibition 2024 with the title "Bauhaus and National Socialism" was awarded. This happened as part of a solemn event in the ballroom of the Goethe National Museum in Weimar. The price of 5000 euros awarded curators in German -speaking countries for extraordinary achievements in the art of the 20th and 21st centuries, in particular for the linguistic and professional quality of catalog texts or editorial work. This year the jury was particularly impressed by the political explosiveness of the topic "Bauhaus and National Socialism".

The exhibition extensively addresses the integration of the Bauhaus movement with National Socialism and offers new perspectives on modernity and Bauhaus history. She examines the political history of the Bauhaus until the closure in 1933 and pursues the life paths of Bauhausers during the National Socialist rule. The jury emphasized the civil courage and the courage of the Classic Foundation to implement such a moving and critical exhibition. It shows around 450 art and design objects from private collections and museums in Europe and the USA, which illustrate the political dimension of art.

political background and the role of the Bauhaus

Together with the works presented in the exhibition, there is a profound examination of the political structures of the time. In an article from Bauhaus Imaginista, it describes in detail how the Bauhaus, despite its avant-garde approaches and expressive designs, was ultimately also used by totalitarian governments such as the Nazi regime for propaganda purposes. The exhibition "Give me four years of time" from 1937, which praised Hitler's four-year plan, is an example of the abuse of Bauhaus aesthetics.

The designers Lilly Reich and Ludwig Mies van der Rohe experimented with materials such as textiles and glass in the 1920s, which also interested the officials of National Socialism. A remarkable project was the design of the German pavilion for the world exhibition in Paris 1937. Its minimalist designs were well received, but the dark side of the cooperation with the regime also raised questions. Despite their avenged ideals, several Bauhaus artists were involved in the aesthetics of the National Socialist propaganda.

public award ceremony and outlook

The public award ceremony of the Justus Bier Prize will take place on June 23, 2025 at 6 p.m. The exhibition at three different locations in Weimar not only focuses on art and design, but also offers a platform to make the complex cultural and political processes visible. The catalog for the exhibition focuses on the political and aesthetic structures of the Bauhaus and would like to make scientific knowledge accessible to a wider audience, especially in the context of today's political landscape, which is characterized by the popularity of right -wing extremist currents.

The investigation of the historical relationships and the reflection on the role of art and design in political systems is more important today than ever. The exhibition therefore becomes a valuable contribution to the critical examination of the history and its effects on the present.