Georg Grosz, Dedicated to Oskar Panizza (1919) The Weimar Republic, Part I Instability and Innovation World War I in Europe euphoria of 1914 turned to dismay 19th-century war had been expected 20th-century war was fought: technological warfare massive loss of life instability in Germany, Austria, Russia, Turkey American role world was a different place in 1918 1 World War I – aftermath in Germany March 1918: peace with Russia Nov. 1918: sailors’ mutiny, civil unrest 9 Nov. 1918: Emperor abdicates; proclamation of a republic 11 Nov. 1918: Armistice with western powers, 1918 early 1919: communist revolts The Weimar Republic named after city where constitutional assembly was held decentralized national government universal suffrage never accepted by ultraconservatives or nationalists elected president with considerable powers • Article 48: rule by emergency decree The Treaty of Versailles harsh terms loss of land Allied occupation of Rhineland war guilt clause – reparations Germans felt betrayed by Wilson Versailles + “stab in the back” theory = large-scale resentment of nationalists 2 Germany in the early 1920s inflation crisis (climax: Nov. 1923) war had been financed by loans and bonds, not taxes reparations fulfillment was impossible French occupation of Ruhr led to German production boycott 3 Anti-Republican sentiments republic not universally accepted nostalgia for emperor 1925: Hindenburg elected President general with anti-democratic leanings Thomas Mann and the Republic most famous German novelist of the period 1917: Observations of a non-political man declared himself in favour of monarchy saw war as struggle between “Kultur” (German culture) and “Zivilisation” (western civilization, represented by France) loss of war would mean loss of German identity Thomas Mann and the Republic 1922: On the German Republic admits to the excesses of the Wilhelmine era monarchist at heart, but calls himself a common- sense republican fears lack of support for republic will result in an absence of a state form that can carry German culture forward 4 Germany in the late 1920s relative stability 1924-1929 1929: stock market crash; global depression by 1933, 1 out of 3 Germans unemployed increased use made of Article 48 premeditated; economic crisis as pretext 1932 elections: anti-democratic majority(i.e. ultranationalist, communist) organized street fighting Weimar Culture innovative international (inspiration and influence) provocative highly critical of (German) society intrigued and troubled by “modernity” What is “modernity”? “Works that consciously and innovatively react, positively or negatively, to changes – social and mental – since the Industrial Revolution [ca. 1885] can be claimed for modernism.” (Alfred D. White) modernity: cultural fabric that has enabled the above artistic response 5 Weimar and the Arts: Highlights dada montage art Bauhaus architecture and design school popular music (jazz) radio cinema expressionsim new objectivity Work Council for Art Manifesto typical example of one new perspective on art during the early years of Weimar reduce state influence in the arts separate arts from state purposes (e.g. war memorials) connect the arts with people socialist impulse: seen in many of Weimar’s artistic developments dada started in Switzerland, 1916 by Hugo Ball came to Berlin, 1917 key values: nonsensical anti-bourgeois pacifist 6 Hugo Ball’s dada manifesto (1916) An International word. Just a word, and the word a movement. Very easy to understand. Quite terribly simple. To make of it an artistic tendency must mean that one is anticipating complications. Dada psychology, dada Germany cum indigestion and fog paroxysm, dada literature, dada bourgeoisie, and yourselves, honoured poets, who are always writing with words but never writing the word itself, who are always writing around the actual point. Dada world war without end, dada revolution without beginning, dada, you friends and also-poets, esteemed sirs, manufacturers, and evangelists. Dada Tzara, dada Huelsenbeck, dada m'dada, dada m'dada dada mhm, dada dera dada, dada Hue, dada Tza. How does one achieve eternal bliss? By saying dada. How does one become famous? By saying dada. With a noble gesture and delicate propriety. Till one goes crazy. Till one loses consciousness. How can one get rid of everything that smacks of journalism, worms, everything nice and right, blinkered, moralistic, europeanised, enervated? By saying dada. 7 Hannah Höch, Cut with a Kitchen Knife (1919) excellent example of montage technique dadaist representation of Weimar instability 8 Kurt Schwitters, Ursonate Ursonate = “first/original sonata” reflected European interest in primal, natural emphasis on form, texture, sound at expense of social commentary Kurt Schwitters - Ursonate (1922) Bauhaus School 1919 - founded by Walter Gropius art, architecture, photography, design emphasis on modernity, functionality famous preliminary course on materials many of the teachers - e.g. Gropius, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe - emigrated to America after 1933 influence still felt in design 9 Bauhaus manifest "The complete building is the ultimate aim of all the visual arts. Once the noblest function of the fine arts was to embelish buildings: they were indispensable components of great architecture. Today the arts exist in isolation.... Architects, painters, and sculptors must learn anew the composite character of the building as an entity.... The artist is an exalted craftsman. In rare moments of inspiration, transcending his conscious will, the grace of heaven may cause his work to blossom into art. But proficiency in his craft is essential to every artist. Therein lies the prime source of creative imagination." Bauhaus program Bauhaus design 10 Berlin and the Weimar Republic Berlin of the 1920s has become synonymous with Weimar culture mecca for emerging and immigrant artists media and entertainment capitol Berlin as symbol of a new age elicited various responses compare Nicholson, Goll, Goebbels readings 11.