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Bauhaus Dessau: 100 years of diversity against right-wing attacks!
Dessau-Roßlau celebrates 100 years of Bauhaus: insight into the heritage, current challenges and the fight for cultural identity.
Bauhaus Dessau: 100 years of diversity against right-wing attacks!
The Bauhaus in Dessau is celebrating a very special anniversary this year: 100 years ago, the renowned institution was moved from Weimar to Dessau and really flourished there. This should be celebrated in the spirit of the motto “To the substance”. The foundation stone for the Bauhaus building in Dessau was laid in early September 1925, laying the foundation for a school of design that continues to set standards today.
Barbara Steiner, who has been at the helm of the Bauhaus as director since 2021, particularly highlights the workshop wing as exceptional. The *Bauhaus Foundation* has set itself the goal of focusing more on resource awareness and sustainability in the future. Steiner has a background in art history and political science and wants to reposition the Bauhaus in a changing world.
Cultural attacks and resistance
Despite the festive occasions, politics doesn't take long to arrive. The AfD, which is classified as “certainly right-wing extremist” in Saxony-Anhalt, is targeting the Bauhaus. In a recent statement, AfD MP Hans Thomas Tillschneider described the Bauhaus as “the wrong path of modernity”. This statement is reminiscent of the National Socialist criticism of Bauhaus architecture. Tillschneider refers to the work of the Nazi ideologist Paul Schultze-Naumburg, who insulted the flat roof as “un-German”. In his arguments he sees the ideas of the Bauhaus as a threat to traditional values and local identities.
Rainer Robra, the culture minister of Saxony-Anhalt, defends the Bauhaus and criticizes the AfD's attacks as reprehensible. The foundation plans sustainable building projects and wants to give shape to the ensemble of the 21st century. Steiner emphasizes that the AfD's allegations are part of a long tradition of criticism of modern ideas.
Bauhaus as a cultural brand
Wolfram Weimer, the Federal Minister of State for Culture, even goes so far as to defend the Bauhaus aesthetic as an important achievement of German creative culture. In the Bundestag's budget debate, he pointed out that the criticism of the Bauhaus supporters was inextricably linked to the brutal persecution by the National Socialists. Weimer also announced that he would use special resources to promote the Bauhaus and make it more visible. This support is urgently needed because the AfD is trying to present itself politically with new cultural policy priorities.
The looming right-wing book fair in Halle/Saale, which is taking place at the same time as the commemoration of Kristallnacht, is causing nervousness among artists in Saxony-Anhalt. A counter-festival is already being planned to take a stand against the growing right-wing currents. In this context, the question remains: What will happen next for the colorful, creative cultural scene in Saxony-Anhalt if the AfD potentially becomes the strongest party in the state elections in autumn 2026?
However, Saxony-Anhalt can be proud of its world cultural heritage - and this includes the Bauhaus in Dessau, which is not only architectural but also a pioneer in the design of modern life. The challenges posed by political attacks could shape how the Bauhaus positions itself in the next few years.