Information Sheet 3The Golden Years?

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Information Sheet 3

The Golden Years?

How far can the period 1924-29 be seen as “a golden age”?

The period 1924-29 has been called “The Golden Age of Weimar” as Germany experienced economic recovery and a cultural revival – particularly in the major towns and cities. International relations also improved, as did welfare provision and the levels of investment in industry. These were years of relative peace, stability and experimentation.

Culture and the Arts

After the First World War, censorship had been removed and artists and writers could now express their thoughts and feelings more freely. This freedom led to artistic experimentation and the development of new artistic techniques and methods. There were significant changes and developments within architecture, music, sculpture, cinema, the opera and theatre, as well as other areas of the arts. This was a golden age in the development of new artistic techniques. Germany now rivalled France as the cultural centre of Europe, with Berlin as the cultural capital (Thomas Mann).

These new artistic movements within Germany however, often produced works of art that were irrational and absurd, reflecting the turmoil that many Germans felt existed within their own everyday lives. The freedom to express feelings certainly encouraged many new forms of art, but also reflected the anxiety that existed within many areas of society throughout the period of the Weimar Republic. Many artists reflected the horrors that they had experienced during the First World War and openly displayed their fear of future conflict and their dislike of the Weimar Republic. Many other artists mocked the lives of the upper classes and the city dwellers that were benefiting from increased investment due to the Dawes Plan. At the same time they lamented the fate of many of the poorer classes, many of whom lived in poverty throughout the years of the Weimar Republic.

©learnthings Ltd 2005 Some examples of Weimar-based artists, writers and films:

George Grosz had been opposed to the First World War and was discharged from the German army during the conflict suffering from shell shock. Grosz often drew and painted political and famous figures within Weimar Germany. He was taken to court and fined several times as his art was often seen as an attack on key personalities and political parties. Examples of his works can be seen at: www.artcyclopedia.com/artists/grosz_george.html

Otto Dix had also been a soldier during the First World War and was another artist who tried to illustrate what everyday life was like in Weimar Germany. He also painted many anti-war paintings such as The Trench (1923) and produced a book of etchings entitled The War in 1924. Both were extremely controversial at that time and upset many members of the public. One of his greatest works is entitled Metropolis (1928). Follow the link to view the painting: www.nelepets.com/art/20c/1920-29/1928-Dix-metropolis.htm

Arguably the greatest playwright to have worked in Weimar Germany was Bertolt Brecht. His Three-Penny Opera (1928) was a huge success. Later, when the Nazis came to power in Germany, his books and plays were banned as they were seen as being too critical of German society. Brecht often highlighted the darker side of human nature.

Thomas Mann was a writer who won a Nobel Prize for his work in 1929. One of his greatest novels was Buddenbrooks “the decline of a family” for which he won the prize. The novel tells of the fall of the Buddenbrooks, a wealthy family, and traces the decline of the family and the family business over four generations.

Erich Maria Remarque had been drafted into the German army during the First World War. He soon became disillusioned with the cause that he had been fighting for. He later wrote the anti-war novel All Quiet on the Western Front (1927). This has become one of the most famous anti-war novels of all time, and follows the fate of a German soldier who has to face the horrors of trench warfare. The book sold 1.2 million copies in the first year after publication.

Fritz Lang’s Metropolis (1927) and Joseph von Sternberg’s The Blue Angel (1930) are among two of the most famous cinema films to be released during the Weimar period. Both were quite shocking films during the period. In Blue Angel a professor falls in love with a nightclub singer called “Lola, Lola” played by Marlene Dietrich. The now famous song “Falling in Love Again” came from this film. Metropolis tells the story of a city run by machines in 2026 in which workers in the lower part of the city plan a revolt against the rich “masters” who dwell in luxury above. ©learnthings Ltd 2005 major towns, cities and industrial areas. The 800 million marks lent to Germany by America was used to invest in new production techniques and commerce and as a result the economy slowly began to recover. German and foreign investors were encouraged to open new businesses in and around the areas where they could best gain a profit. Larger towns and industrial centres were therefore redeveloped to cater for the rise in demand for manufactured goods and exports. As profits increased wages rose and conditions at work improved.

The cities also catered to the new artistic tastes brought about by the cultural revival of the 1920s. Cinemas, nightclubs, operas and theatres were opened and catered mainly for the tastes of the urban middle and upper classes who could afford to attend such establishments. The wealthy bought the latest fashions and ate at the best restaurants. Berlin was by far the largest, most experimental and extravagant of Germany’s cities. Dotted around the city amongst the many bars and clubs, cinemas and theatres were cabaret venues. Cabarets often featured scantily dressed dancers, transvestites and rude songs. Some even included nude dancing. This type of behaviour and extravagance was viewed by the less well off with disdain. It was seen, as were many of the other new forms of art and entertainment, as being sleazy and decadent.

The countryside

The situation in the countryside was in marked contrast to the experience of those in the cities and large towns. As wages for factory workers rose, farmers’ incomes steadily declined throughout the later 1920s as agricultural prices fell. Major investments were made in the towns and factories, but this was often at the expense of the smaller towns and villages. Farmworkers were particularly badly hit and their earnings by 1929 were only just above half the national average. Although the landed classes largely held onto their wealth as they had investments elsewhere, farmers and the farming community faced ever-rising debts. Summary:

After studying the different events, pacts and plans from the Stresemann era, as well as the information above, you may have felt quite optimistic, like many people within Germany, about the future of Germany and the Weimar Republic after 1924. There was greater freedom of expression, the economy started to revive and businesses once more began to make a profit. Wages also increased and working conditions slowly improved.

Yet, you have also been given many reasons why many German people felt pessimistic about their futures and the future of Germany during the period 1924-29. Too much power seemed to rest with too few people – mostly those with wealth. Rich industrialists were extremely powerful with only a small number controlling most of Germany’s industry. Weimar culture in many areas reflected the decadent lifestyles of the few and not all areas within Germany were benefiting from foreign investment and a rise in income.

Optimistic – A belief that things are getting better and will continue to do so. Or Things will get better in the future.

Pessimistic – A tendency to see the worst side of things. The future does not hold much hope.

Below is a list of other potential problems:  Increased prosperity and economic growth depended largely upon foreign investment. Much of this was in the form of loans (usually short term) which could be withdrawn at any time.  Although the government increased taxation to help rebuild the German economy (much to the despair of employers in particular), public spending was higher than the amount received in tax.  The level of German exports rose, but by 1928 Germany was importing more goods than she was exporting.  Unemployment rose as the 1920s progressed. As wages rose employers often cut back on staff to meet the costs.

Question: How far was the period 1924-29 one of recovery?