Far-Right German Politicians Denounce Bauhaus Movement, Calling It ‘The Wrong Path of Modernism’

Politicians with the far-right Alternative for Germany party have criticized the Bauhaus movement of the early 20th century, claiming that its emphasis on austerity and minimalism led modernism in the wrong direction.

According to the German publication Middeldeutsche Zeitung, members of the party, known as AfD for short, have submitted an official motion, titled “The Wrong Path of Modernism,” that calls for a critical reappraisal of Bauhaus. The motion was submitted to German parliament in advance of a large-scale initiative over the next two years that will celebrate the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Bauhaus school in Dessau.

The Bauhaus movement imploded the boundaries between architecture, art, design, fashion, music, and other fields. Its artists placed an emphasis on functionality, suggesting that modern art was not necessarily at odds with daily life.

Among those associated with the movement are Josef and Anni Albers, László Moholy-Nagy, and Oskar Schlemmer.

AfD politicians said they disagreed with the aesthetic of their art. “The emphasis on sobriety and minimalism often led to impersonal architecture that is perceived as cold, unwelcoming and unattractive,” the motion reportedly reads.

Moreover, the politicians claimed, the Bauhaus school prioritized a “uniformity” in its aesthetic. That in turn spurred “a dilution of regional characteristics and a standardization of architecture and design, which is detrimental to cultural diversity,” according to the motion.

Politicians from other parties in Germany have already claimed the AfD denouncement of the Bauhaus movement recalls similar views espoused by the Nazis, who famously labeled modernist styles “degenerate art.”

“Here the AfD is showing the face of National Socialism par excellence,” Andreas Silbersack, the leader of the liberal Free Democratic Party, told Middeldeutsche Zeitung.