A Bauhaus-inspired tour of Germany
The influence of the Bauhaus can be found everywhere today. From fashion to furniture, architecture to kitchenware, its sleek modernist aesthetic sets the standard for every avenue of contemporary design. To celebrate this centenary, towns and cities across Germany are staging a string of special events and exhibitions. A tour around these locations serves as historical shorthand for modern-day design. Here are our top 10 places to see…
1/7- THE BAUHAUS MUSEUM IN WEIMAR
Charming and compact, Weimar is one of Germany’s most handsome cities. It was here, in April 1919, that the Bauhaus was born. The city may have one of the world’s biggest Bauhaus collections but until this year these treasures were crammed into a small, nondescript space. In the brand-new Bauhaus Museum Weimar, these innovative artefacts are displayed in the sort of setting they deserve.
Credit: The Bauhaus Museum in Weimar by night (2018-2019). Architect: Prof. Heike Hanada. Photo: © Claus Bach, Weimar
2/7- THE BAUHAUS UNIVERSITY IN WEIMAR
Like every revolution, the Bauhaus movement needed a fertile setting from which to gain momentum. It grew from progressive attitudes to design that had been bubbling under the surface in Germany for some time. Gropius, the school’s first director, may have founded the institution, but it was Belgian architect and designer Henry van de Velde who provided the initial inspiration. In 1905 he established a new School of Arts and Crafts in Weimar, which under Gropius became the first headquarters of the Bauhaus, now part of Weimar’s UNESCO World Heritage Site. Bauhaus aside, Weimar and the state of Thuringia were home to some of Germany’s greatest writers, musicians and thinkers, from Goethe and Schiller to Bach, Liszt and Nietzsche, whose legacy can be experienced to this day.
Credit: Detail of the main building of Bauhaus University Weimar, the former Art School. Architect: Henry van de Velde. Photo: © Tillmann Franzen, tillmannfranzen.com
- THE BAUHAUS MUSEUM IN DESSAU
From the offset, traditionalists and politicians felt threatened by the Bauhaus. In 1924 Weimar’s conservative government cut funding for the design school, forcing the students and teachers to leave the town. They found a much warmer welcome in Dessau, a formerly industrial city further north that’s now home to another brand-new Bauhaus Museum with a focus on architecture. Much like in Weimar, the museum is not just a compelling exhibition space but also a lively meeting place.
3/7- BAUHAUS ARCHITECTURE IN DESSAU
It was in Dessau that the Bauhaus established its reputation for avant-garde architecture by constructing an entire campus of sleek buildings, which still look cutting-edge today. A walking tour of these streamlined structures is a great introduction to the Bauhaus. The school’s landmark headquarters are the highlight (you can even stay the night in one of the former student bedrooms) but don’t miss the elegant riverside pavilion, and the clean lines and flowing spaces of the teachers' (Masters’) houses in the woods.
Credit: Kornhouse Dessau, Dessau-Rosslau (1929-30). Architect: Carl Fieger. Photo: © DZT/Littlemycph
4/7- THE BAUHAUS ARCHIVE IN BERLIN
In 1932, reactionary politicians gained control in Dessau, forcing the Bauhaus to move once again. The relocation to Berlin came to an abrupt end when Hitler rose to power and the school closed for good – only to disperse masters, students and their ideas throughout the world. In 1979 the Bauhaus Archives were completed in West Berlin, based on plans by Gropius, to house the world’s largest Bauhaus archive. While the building is currently being updated, its exhibits are on show at the Berlinische Galerie until 27 January 2020.
Credit: Bauhaus-Archiv, Museum für Gestaltung, Berlin (1976-79) Architects: Walter Gropius, Alex Cvijanovic and Hans Bandel. Photo: © Tillmann Franzen, tillmannfranzen.com
5/7- MIES VAN DER ROHE IN BERLIN
Ludwig Mies van der Rohe (the architect who coined the phrase ‘less is more’) was the last director of the Bauhaus. Although he emigrated to the USA, his legacy endures in Berlin. The big draw is his minimalist Neue Nationalgalerie, but don’t forget Haus Lemke, the last building he completed before he emigrated. Originally a residential bungalow, it’s now a gallery – but the best exhibit is unequivocally the house itself.
Credit: The New National Gallery in Berlin. Photo: © Shutterstock
- MIES VAN DER ROHE IN KREFELD
After World War II, the three cities where the Bauhaus was based all ended up in East Germany, but it was in West Germany that its liberal ideals were incubated and kept alive. Head to North Rhine-Westphalia and the trio of industrial cities that were built (and rebuilt) in Bauhaus style. Essen, in particular, has been transformed, from rustbelt town to cultural capital. Here you’ll find one of Germany’s finest galleries, the Folkwang Museum, and the Zollverein, a spectacular arts centre located at the pit head of an old coal mine. Also worth a visit are Haus Lange and Haus Esters, a pair of splendid villas in Krefeld that are now art galleries created by Mies van der Rohe.
6/7- MODERNISM IN STUTTGART
Chill out in the stylish city where modernist architecture took root. The Bauhaus schools in Weimar, Dessau and Berlin were just the beginning. The spare and simple style they championed was soon adopted in other German cities too. In Stuttgart, the Weissenhof estate became one of the world’s most famous ensembles of modernist architecture. Its centrepiece, by Swiss architect Le Corbusier, now houses a fine museum. For even more Bauhaus immersion, the permanent gallery at Stuttgart’s State Gallery includes works by artists associated with the movement such as Oskar Schlemmer. And look out for the Tagblatt Tower, one of Germany’s first tower blocks. When it was constructed in 1928 it was the tallest office building in the country.
Credit: Van de Rohe house east side, Weissenhof, Stuttgart view. Photo: © Shutterstock
- BAUHAUS IN BRANDENBURG
Visitors to Berlin rarely stray beyond the city’s parameters. Which is a shame as the state surrounding the German capital is a curiously stark contrast to the city (less western, more provincial) and is a place where all three Bauhaus directors left their mark. Check out the Kupferhaus in Eberswalde (Walter Gropius), the Trade Union School in Bernau (Hannes Meyer) and three villas by Mies van der Rohe in Potsdam, a historic city with a wealth of architecture, from modernism to baroque.
7/7- GRAND TOUR OF MODERNISM
The biggest impact of the Bauhaus wasn’t necessarily the buildings and objects it left behind but the architects and designers it inspired. The Grand Tour of Modernism is a hit list of 100 buildings directly or indirectly inspired by the movement. If we had to pick our favourites, they would be the Olympic Stadium in Munich, the Chilehaus in Hamburg and Tempelhof Airport in Berlin. And if you fancy a dip after all that sightseeing, head out to Wannsee lido on the leafy edges of Berlin.
Credit: The Chilehaus in Hamburg, Germany. Photo: © Shutterstock
WIN A FIVE-DAY TRIP TO GERMANY
Discover the birthplace of the Bauhaus on a fantastic five-day trip to Germany. Fly to Frankfurt, take a sleek intercity train to Weimar, and stay at the famous Hotel Elephant. In Weimar you'll see all the historic Bauhaus sites, plus the new Bauhaus Museum. Flights, train transfer, B&B and museum entry are all included in the prize.
Enter here to be in with a chance of winning
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