Bauhaus in Weimar - Bauhaus and its Sites in Weimar, Dessau and Bernau
Weimar, Germany
19.06.2018
The Bauhaus in Weimar – a UNESCO World Heritage Site
The Bauhaus in Weimar, located in the city of Weimar in Germany, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site that was inscribed in 1996. It is a testament to the influential art and design movement known as the Bauhaus, which was founded in 1919 by architect Walter Gropius.
Originally named the "Staatliches Bauhaus Weimar," the school was established as a way to bring together fine arts, crafts, and technology in order to create a new modern aesthetic. The Bauhaus style emphasized simplicity, functionality, and the use of new materials and techniques. It had a significant impact on design and architecture around the world, and its legacy can still be seen today.
The Bauhaus building in Weimar, designed by Gropius himself, served as the school's home from 1919 to 1925. It features a striking asymmetrical façade with large windows, allowing natural light to flood the interior spaces. The interior was also designed by Gropius, with a focus on open and flexible spaces that could be adapted for various uses.
Many influential artists and designers taught and studied at the Bauhaus in Weimar, including Paul Klee, Wassily Kandinsky, and Marcel Breuer. Their works can be seen in the nearby Bauhaus Museum Weimar, which houses a collection of artwork and designs from the Bauhaus era.
Unfortunately, the Bauhaus in Weimar was short-lived, as it faced political pressures and was eventually forced to move to Dessau in 1925. However, the school's impact and legacy continue to be celebrated and recognized at its birthplace in Weimar.
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Between 1919 and 1933 the Bauhaus movement revolutionized architectural and aesthetic thinking and practice in the 20th century. The Bauhaus buildings in Weimar, Dessau and Bernau are fundamental representatives of Classical Modernism, directed towards a radical renewal of architecture and design. This property, which was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1996, originally comprised buildings located in Weimar (Former Art School, the Applied Art School and the Haus Am Horn) and Dessau (Bauhaus Building, the group of seven Masters' Houses). The 2017 extension includes the Houses with Balcony Access in Dessau and the ADGB Trade Union School in Bernau as important contributions to the Bauhaus ideas of austere design, functionalism and social reform.
Bauhaus and its Sites in Weimar, Dessau and Bernau are World Heritage Sites in Germany, comprising six separate sites which are associated with the Bauhaus art school. It was designated in 1996 with four initial sites, and in 2017 two further sites were added.
The Bauhaus was only in operation from 1919 until 1933 and it educated no more than 1,250 students, of whom only 155 actually graduated with a Bauhaus Diploma. Nevertheless, the school revolutionized 20th century architectural and aesthetic thinking and practice.
"[The] buildings designed by the masters of the Bauhaus are fundamental representatives of Classical Modernism... For this reason, they are important monuments not only for art and culture, but also for the historic ideas of the 20th century." – Application for the extension of the UNESCO World Heritage Bauhaus and its Sites in Weimar and Dessau, German delegation to UNESCO, December 2015.
