War, Tradition and Modernism History of Germany Lecture 7
Schedule 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.
Introduction The soldiers return from the war The meaning of the Great War War and modernism New objectivity Conclusion
Schedule 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.
Introduction The soldiers return from the war The meaning of the Great War War and modernism New objectivity Conclusion
Freikorps (free corps)
Paramilitary organizations of demobilised soldiers and officers 1918-1920 Many soldiers felt disconnected from civilian life and joined Freikorps in search of stability provided by a military structure Fought in the Baltics against Red Army, in Silesia against Polish insurgents Helped to put down communist uprisings Participated in Kapp putsch 1920 Some Freikorps members committed political assassinations (Erzberger, Rathenau – seen as ‘November traitors’) Some joined Nazi party
Organisations of front line soldiers
Roter Frontkämpferbund (Red Fighter League, 1924) – communist (1927: 111,000 members) Reichsbanner Schwarz-Rot-Gold (1923) – democratic, social-democratic (1932: ca 3 million members) Stahlhelm. Bund der Frontsoldaten (steel helmet. League of Frontline Soldiers) founded 1918 by Franz Seldte – antidemocratic, nationalistic, close to DNVP (1930: 500,000 members)
Was will der Stahlhelm? Propaganda poster of the Stahlhelm
Stahlhelm decoration 1925
Schedule 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.
Introduction The soldiers return from the war The meaning of the Great War War and modernism New objectivity Conclusion
Different opinions
Moderate left and democrats: old elites and authoritarian politicians of the old empire responsible for war and defeat – more democracy necessary Communists: capitalism and ruling class responsible – socialist revolution Right wing nationalists: November revolution, social-democrats, communists, pacifists, Jews to blame for defeat – authoritarian government based on support of Volksgemeinschaft (national community) is necessary to make Germany strong again
Hindenburg’s coffin is carried into the central courtyard of the monument
War memorials
Schedule 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.
Introduction The soldiers return from the war The meaning of the Great War War and modernism New objectivity Conclusion
Modernism A break from the past and a search for new expression. A faith in new technology and aesthetics to solve problems of society.
Expressionism Expressionism is the tendency of an artist to distort reality for an emotional effect; it is a subjective art form Art movement very influential in Germany since the turn of the century (Die Br端cke, der Blaue Reiter) Vassily Kandinsky, Der blaue Reiter
Otto Dix, Flanders (illustration for the novel “The Fire" by Henri Barbusse), 1934-36
Otto Dix, Gesehen am Steilhang von Cléry-sur-Somme (“As seen on the steep slope of Cléry-sur-Somme”) 1924
Otto Dix, Triptychon “The War”, 1929-32
“Armament is necessary” John Heartfield 1932
Käthe Kollwitz, Pietà, 1937
Dada
Dada was first and foremost a response to the madness of war. To the Dadaists, progress (including reason and logic) had led to the disaster of world war. They believed that the only way forward was through political anarchy, the natural emotions, the intuitive and the irrational.
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The Futurists believed that mechanization, revolution, and war were rational and logical means to the solution of human problems. The Dada movement was the exact opposite in philosophy from the Futurists.
Gino Severini. (Italian, 18831966). Visual Synthesis of the Idea: "War". 1914. Oil on canvas,
The origins of the term Dada are not known…it can mean a child’s rocking horse…dada means in German in baby language to go out, in French it means “an event or obsession.” Whatever its origin, it is the central mocking symbol of the attack on established movements that characterized early 20th century art.
Dada was a search for new vision and content that went beyond any frivolous desire to outrage the bourgeoisie It affected art, literature, music and theatre… it was the voice of the fantastic and absurd! Dada’s serious purpose: the critical reexamination of traditions, premises, rules, logical basic concepts, even of the concepts of order, coherence and beauty.
George Grosz. Germany: a Winter's Tale. 1917/19. Oil on canvas. Whereabouts unknown.
What a b what a b what a beauty What a b what a b what a beauty What a b what a b what a a What a beauty beauty be What a beauty beauty be What a beauty beauty beauty be be be What a be what a b what a beauty What a b what a b what a a What a be be be be be What a be be be be be What a be be be be be be be a beauty be be be What a beauty. Kurt Schwitters
Kurt Schwitters, Ursonate, 3rd part: Scherzo (extract) Lanke trr gll pe pe pe pe pe Ooka ooka ooka ooka Lanke trr gll pii pii pii pii pii züüka züüka züüka züükaIII Lanke trr gll Rrmm RrnnfIII Lanke trr gll Ziiuu lenn trll? Lümpff tümpff trllIII Lanke trr gll Rrumpff tilff tooIII Lanke trr gll Ziiuu lenn trll? Lümpff tümpff trllIII Lanke trr gll
KS by El Lissitsky 1924
Oskar Maria Graf
Russian influence before the revolution
Vassily Kandinsky
Kasimir Malevich, The Black Square
Soviet Influence
Vladimir Tatlin: Model of the Monument to the Third International
Wedding dish 1924 1923 Kasimir Malevich
Schedule 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.
Introduction The soldiers return from the war The meaning of the Great War War and modernism New objectivity Conclusion
Die neue Sachlichkeit (New Objectivity)
Outgrowth of and in opposition to expressionism Art movement in Germany in the 1920s (architecture, visual arts, music) “What we are displaying here is distinguished by the – in itself purely external – characteristics of the objectivity with which the artists express themselves” (Gustav Friedrich Hartlaub, 1923) Rejection of sentimentality and emotional agitation of expressionism Functional, matter-of-fact approach to construction – Neues Bauen (New Building)
Ornament is a waste of the energy of labour, and therefore a waste of health‌Today it also means squandered material and squandered capital‌The modern person, the person with modern nerves, does not need ornament, on the contrary, he detests it. - Adolf Loos Ornament and Crime 1908
Form follows function The American sculptor Horatio Greenough, popularised by the American architect Louis Henri Sullivan
Less is more. - Mies van der Rohe Architects and designers approached design by methods that reduced all unnecessary elements.
It is agreed, we refuse to duplicate handmade works, historical style forms, and other materials for production. - Peter Behrens, 1907 Rejection of historical and handmade artefacts – they are to be replaced by new technologies and materials.
The Bauhaus very influential concept of art in the 20th c.: • Established standards of excellence and workmanship • Created products for mass production • Chief aesthetic principle was to simplify the design of all objects • The modernist palette tended to emphasize white and grey accented with black or primary colours • Ornamentation had to be integral to the materials of construction • Made use of the latest technologies • Stressed lightness and transparency • Art and technology were fused in an effort to improve overall quality of design
The Famous Designers • Walter Gropius – Architect and founder of the architectural program • Mies van der Rohe – Architect and furniture designer • Marcel Breuer – Designer of “machine-age furniture”
Walter Gropius • 1919 - 1928 director of the Bauhaus • His aim was to bring together all creative efforts into one whole, to reunify all the disciplines of practical art — painting, sculpture, handicrafts and the crafts. There should be no distinction between monumental and decorative art. • He believed that the student must know the crafts — each student had to work in the workshop to familiarise themselves with materials and construction in order to learn how to design properly.
Marcel Breuer • Designed tubular steel Wassily chair inspired by bicycle handles • The chair was designed for his artist friend Wassily Kandinsky
Mies van der Rohe • Designed the German Pavilion for the 1929 International Exposition in Barcelona, Spain • Used the open plan inspired by Wright • Ornamentation was only through the textures of natural materials • Combines marble floors, polished steel columns, screen walls of glass and polished marble
The Weissenhof Estate, Stuttgart 1927
Schedule 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.
Introduction The soldiers return from the war The meaning of the Great War War and modernism New objectivity Conclusion
Conclusion
German society split over discussion about meaning of war Traditional forms were very important in memorialisation of war Traditional forms could be understood by masses Many artists looked for modernist forms to express their war experience Dada as “anti-art” – expression of senselessness of war Bauhaus and “new objectivity” – modern art in era of mass production – social drive