Bauhaus Then and Now

It is 1932, and Nazi Storm Troopers occupy the Bauhaus school in Dessau, Germany. In the right-wing press, it is vilified as a Jewish-Bolshevik enclave—a den of degenerate and "racially impure" artists. The Storm Troopers destroy much of what they find, demolish the iconic Bauhaus sign outside the building, and convert the school into an officer training facility. Forced to relocate to Berlin, the school is targeted once again and shut down for good in 1933. Many of its pioneering artists and teachers—including Anni Albers, Paul Klee, and Wassily Kandinsky—have no choice but to flee the country. The school's founder, Walter Gropius, emigrates to the United States, where he goes on to teach at Harvard. This is what the Nazis saw and tried to destroy. But let’s take a look at the real legacy of Bauhaus—a movement whose influence they could not suppress, and whose impact is still deeply felt today in architecture, industrial design, furniture, fine art, cinema, and even typography.

Walter Gropius by E. Bieber, ca. 1928

Prominent architect Walter Gropius—nicknamed "The Silver Prince"—had a bold vision. He wanted to establish a revolutionary educational system that brought all artistic disciplines under one roof, dissolving the barrier between artist and craftsman. On this equal footing, artists were expected to master the materials and techniques traditionally reserved for artisans. Gropius envisioned an environment where painting, sculpture, and architecture were no longer isolated, but could instead grow by constantly informing one another. Crucially, this collective artistic talent would be channeled into designing functional objects optimized for mass production. With this goal in mind, Gropius founded the school, which he named Bauhaus (German for "construction house"). While the school was originally established in Weimar, it was for its second location in Dessau that Gropius designed the iconic Bauhaus building. This landmark structure showcased the defining features of modern architecture: a steel-frame construction, an expansive glass curtain wall to maximize natural light and ventilation, and a dynamic pinwheel plan. This asymmetrical layout allowed Gropius to utilize space with maximum efficiency, seamlessly separating studios, classrooms, and administrative wings.

Bauhaus in Dessau, Germany, designed by Walter Gropius

What started as a school quickly solidified into a global movement with clearly defined aesthetic guidelines, anchored by the iconic principles of "form follows function" and "less is more." As Walter Gropius explained, “Our guiding principle was that design is neither an intellectual nor a material affair, but simply an integral part of the stuff of life, necessary for everyone in a civilized society.” Another distinguishing characteristic of Bauhaus was its stellar faculty, comprised of trailblazing artists and designers. Alongside Gropius, the roster included painter Paul Klee, textile artist Anni Albers, architect and furniture designer Marcel Breuer, and metalworker Marianne Brandt. In 1922, the brilliant abstract painter Wassily Kandinsky also joined the teaching staff, solidifying the school's reputation as a powerhouse of modern creative thought.

Paul Klee. Revolving Door. 1921

Paul Klee—an artist whose highly individual style was deeply influenced by Cubism and Surrealism—taught at the Bauhaus from 1921 to 1931. He was an incredibly prolific teacher, leading classes that ranged from bookbinding to foundational design. Klee taught his students that line, form, and color were the essential components of any artwork. His revolutionary lesson plans famously featured these key concepts:

• Lesson 1: "Take a line for a walk." He demonstrated the myriad ways in which a simple, dynamic point could stretch and evolve into a line.

• Lesson 2: Observe the fish tank. Hosting classes in his home, Klee had students study his large personal aquarium to emphasize the vital role of movement and life within a static composition.

• Lesson 3: Draw the circulatory system. Klee encouraged his students to map the circulatory flow of blood through the body, drawing a parallel between biological pathways and the creative artistic process.

• Lesson 4: Weigh the colors. He emphasized color weight, teaching how a single hue shifts in value and intensity relative to the colors surrounding it to create either harmony or tension.

• Lesson 5: Study the Great Masters. He had students analyze historical masterpieces, deconstructing them solely by their fundamental elements of line, form, and color.

Anni Albers. Wall Hanging. 1925

Although the manifesto Walter Gropius put together championed absolute equality between men and women, in practice, female students were heavily encouraged to enter workshops deemed "more appropriate" for them—chiefly the weaving workshop. While Anni Albers was initially disappointed by this restriction, she quickly channeled her innovative nature and brilliant eye for design into developing textiles with bold, geometric patterns that perfectly embodied the Bauhaus spirit. She soon realized that textile design at Bauhaus was a far cry from traditional "ladies' embroidery." Instead, the workshop elevated weaving back to the rigorous artistic standards of the Renaissance, an era when many master weavers had been men. Albers went on to join the faculty, becoming one of the few women in the movement to achieve such institutional success. Her trailblazing work ultimately earned her a solo exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in 1949—making her the first textile designer ever to receive this honor.

Wassily Chair. Marcel Breuer. 1925

Wassily Kandinsky. Several Circles. 1926

Cesca Chair. Marcel Breuer. 1928

When we think of Bauhaus furniture, the most iconic pieces are undoubtedly the Wassily Chair and the Cesca Chair, both designed by architect and furniture designer Marcel Breuer, then head of the school's cabinetmaking workshop. Indeed, a curator at the Museum of Modern Art once referred to them as being among the ten most important chairs of the 20th century. The Wassily Chair, designed in 1925, was famously inspired by the bent handlebars of a bicycle frame. By combining curved, tubular steel with sleek leather straps, Breuer achieved a comfortable yet beautifully sculpted minimalist aesthetic. It later became known as the Wassily Chair due to Wassily Kandinsky’s deep admiration for the design.

Although the Cesca Chair was designed in 1928, shortly after Breuer left Bauhaus, its brilliant use of materials was clearly a direct result of his years spent at the school. Striking a perfect balance between industrialism and warmth, the seemingly floating design paired a tubular steel frame with a traditional cane and wood seat and backrest. Decades later, the chair was officially named "Cesca" as a tribute to Breuer's adopted daughter, Francesca (nicknamed Cesca). Like so much of the work produced at the Bauhaus, these revolutionary chairs were conceived with the ultimate goal of high-quality mass production.

Teapot. Marianne Brandt. 1924

Table Lamp. Marianne Brandt. 1928

One woman who refused to let her gender restrict her career path was metalworker Marianne Brandt. She was the very first woman admitted to the metalworking workshop, eventually rising to become its acting director in 1928. Under her leadership, the metalworking and cabinetmaking workshops became the most successful departments in developing prototype designs for mass production. While we often associate mass-produced goods with inferior quality, Bauhaus prototypes were both radically modern and meticulously crafted, ensuring that utility and aesthetics were perfectly balanced.

Brandt’s iconic designs remain timeless. Her famous silver and ebony teapot, for example, was designed with careful attention to ergonomics, featuring a drip-free spout and a heat-resistant handle. Her prototypes perfectly exemplified the core Bauhaus principles of design:

• Rationalism: Designing with a strict minimum of geometric shapes and colors.

• Functionalism: Eliminating all decorative frills to focus entirely on creating highly usable, practical objects.

• Formalism: Respecting materials by using them in ways that suit their intrinsic qualities—such as highlighting the sheen and flexibility of metal, or the transparency and brittleness of glass.

• Efficiency: Engineering the prototype so it can be manufactured in the most efficient, cost-effective way for mass production.

So, the Nazis may have stomped like madmen through the halls of the Bauhaus, destroying everything they could lay their hands on, but you cannot destroy progress and the artistic spirit. You can hinder it for a moment, but you can never stop it.