The Bauhaus

The Bauhaus was a German design school that was active from 1919 to 1934.

The school was famous for its focus on the combination of both the world of fine art and the world of crafts.

It was founded by Walter Gropius in 1919.

The Bauhaus started in Weimar, Germany

It moved to Dessau in 1925

In 1932, the Bauhaus moved to Berlin where it was shut down a year later by the Nazi party

In German, Bauhaus literally means “house for building”

The Bauhaus’s ideals were that the artist must recognize his social responsibility to the community and likewise, the community must accept and support the artist.

The Bauhaus school strived to produce a new approach to architecture that incorporated artistic design, craftsmanship, and modern machine technology.

The major goals of the school were to encourage craftsman and artists to collaborate, to elevate the status of crafts, and to maintain relations with industry and craft leaders in order to eventually become independent of government control.

The Bauhaus school wished to articulate contemporary culture through the creation of new forms that were designed for everyday living.

Furniture is functional. It was created according to the theory of “form follows function.”

There were Chairs

Sofas

Lamps

And other household items.

Curriculum map for the Bauhaus

Bauhaus artists were active in the graphic arts.

Women in the Bauhaus

The Bauhaus declared equality between the sexes. Where German women had once received art education at home with tutors, at the Bauhaus they were free to join courses.

They especially excelled at weaving and textile design

The Bauhaus has had a lasting influence:

From having its own font

To popular chair designs

Popular home furnishing store Ikea shows significant Bauhaus influence in many of its designs

Ikea Bauhaus

There was even a British Goth band in the 80’s called Bauhaus!