“Every generation views the Bauhaus differently”

The Bauhaus-Archiv was founded in Darmstadt in 1960 as a non-profit organisation – the same structure we have today. It was a smart move on the part of the founding director, the art historian Hans Maria Wingler, to get Walter Gropius on board. Gropius had been looking for a place to establish a Bauhaus archive in the United States since the end of the 1940s. At first, he was considering Harvard University, because that’s where he worked as chair of the architecture department. But then he met Wingler, and they both came up with the idea of founding the archive in Darmstadt. It’s quite interesting how it got its name – why “archive” and not “museum”? The members of the Bauhaus did not want to see their works exhibited in museums because they believed that what they had achieved would be forever and universally relevant. Incredible hybris actually!

The reason was that after World War I, everyone radically rejected all the conventions that had existed in the German Empire. They wanted to rid themselves of the deadweight of history and look to the future to create a universal human language with elementary colours and shapes. The Bauhäusler, as they were called, were enamoured by the idea that they were studying at the hub of the world and were actively involved in changing it.

As an institution, the Bauhaus was history ever since the National Socialists shut it down after seizing power in 1933. There were several attempts to revive the Bauhaus in a contemporary version at the Ulm School of Design. In the United States, the Institute of Design in Chicago still exists, a school originally established as the “New Bauhaus”. Even in the 1960s, Bauhaus ideas were not regarded as relics of the past, because the Bauhäusler considered themselves denizens of the 20^th century, fully devoted to modernism. Yet modernism did not have an easy time establishing itself in the Federal Republic of Germany during those years. The fact that it always had to struggle for acceptance was what lifted people’s spirits.

The Bauhaus employed a general approach – one that would train a new type of artist who could do everything. Before something could be manufactured industrially, the rule was that it first had to be produced by hand. Look at someone like Max Bill. For me, he’s the best example of a Bauhäusler because he confidently delved into everything – graphic art, sculpting, painting, design, architecture. That was the mission of the Bauhaus – to create universal artists who were trained and determined to design the world in its entirety.

This concept had already existed. But World War I was a horrendous turning point, though the time from 1900 to 1914 was very exciting. Gropius and his fellow instructors gave things a different orientation, yet they didn’t reinvent everything either. Many of these ideas can still be useful to us today: How do we want to live? How do we want to live together? These are fundamental questions about change which derive from the here and now and enable us to envision the future.

During the 14 years it existed, the Bauhaus constantly reformed and reinvented itself. It had a lot to do with its changing directors and locations, but not entirely so. The Bauhaus was like a sponge, fully rooted in its place in history and open to the issues of its time. These were constantly evolving during those turbulent years of the Weimar Republic. Photography, film and radio contributed to revolutionising public perception. It also sparked something within the artists.

The Bauhaus had always been polarising. Even its own directors had differing views. Now with the passing of time, every generation views it differently, and we as a museum have encountered many new perspectives. One of our recurring themes was making sure that the women of the Bauhaus were rightfully acknowledged. Now we are addressing other issues: How sustainable was the Bauhaus? Was the institution so universal that it can still offer us answers to everything?

To a limited extent! Oskar Schlemmer, for example, certainly recognised the dangers of technology. In the Masters’ Council meetings, he repeatedly brought up the topic, as we know from the minutes. I would say this affirmative view was more prevalent in the fields of architecture and design. They didn’t dream up original artworks in the darkness of the workshops. Rather they wanted to have an impact on society and produce objects which could be serially manufactured. That’s why they were more euphoric about technology than, say, the painters. But even there, if you look closely, you’ll notice that very few items actually made it to serial production. As to whether they achieved their goal, the answer would have to clearly be ‘no’.

The Bauhaus-Archiv has been closed since 2018 for renovation and expansion and will presumably reopen in 2025. In these seven years, we’ve seen the world change at a pace we never imagined. We were already staging exhibitions on women at the Bauhaus in the 1990s and 2000s. We weren’t yet considering colonial issues back then. Meanwhile we’ve put the question to our collection, and the results will be integrated into the new presentation. We want to initiate dialogue on certain themes, present selected points of view, and allow our visitors to incorporate their own ideas, which we will ideally try to explore in greater detail. We are currently in the midst of an enormous process of transformation.

That’s been neglected for a long time in German museums but has changed dramatically in recent years. We’ve chosen areas which are still frequently overlooked, for example, early childhood education; we’re working closely with childcare facilities in this area. It’s something that corresponds wonderfully with the topic of the Bauhaus.

Education has to be a top priority because, after all, the Bauhaus was a school. That was the aim of all the participants of the architectural design competition for our new annex. Volker Staab submitted the proposal for a building that underscores our commitment to cultural education. It is a glass tower. From outside one can see what’s going on inside. It will serve as a venue for open workshops with drop-in activities. Everyone who drops in can also join in.

It was certainly a challenge to respond to this building. In our call for proposals, we explicitly stated that we did not want a building in a neo-Bauhaus style. Rather, we asked participants to think about what the building for the Bauhaus collection might look like. Volker Staab refers to the ideas and spirit of the Bauhaus without expressing them stylistically. For him it’s about applying today’s most cutting-edge building technology. The big challenge was incorporating what was supposed to be a filigree tower into the existing architecture. The structural engineers racked their brains until they finally came up with the solution, namely, to combine steel and wood elements as much as possible. Prefabrication and shortened construction times was incredibly important to Gropius in his day. When construction of the tower begins, one will be able to witness how quickly it will rise day by day.

As soon as you display originals, you have to meet certain conservational standards with respect to light, temperature and humidity. This especially applies to highly light-sensitive works on paper or fabrics. In our building designed by Walter Gropius, we’ve constantly struggled with an abundance of natural light which falls through the windows. That’s why we’ve decided to create optimal conditions in the annex to allow us to present as much of our wonderful collection as possible.

We’ve always developed our exhibitions with a cultural-scientific mindset. Which means we’ve taken documentary materials into account, whether it’s letters, leaflets or manuscripts. But of course, we don’t want exhibitions entirely comprised of display cases. Much of what we present will be displayed via projections and video screens, but this shouldn’t and won’t distract from the original works.

We would like to make a stronger impression at this location so that neighbours and Berliners feel welcome. The architectural style of our building sometimes came across as closed off and self-contained. The new building, on the other hand, symbolises openness, even though the museum won’t be situated above ground. We want to enhance the premises in such a way that it will become a place people want to visit, where things will be offered on the grounds outside as well. The shop and café will be visible in a very different way. We aim to try out many new things, see what works and learn from the mistakes we make. That, by the way, is also a principle of the Bauhaus.

Annemarie Jaeggi has been director of the Bauhaus-Archiv / Museum für Gestaltung in Berlin since 2003. Until 2021, she was working as private docent at the Technische Universität Berlin and at the Accademia di Architettura in Mendrisio/Switzerland. She is, among others, founding member of the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Designgeschichte (German Society for the History of Design) and memeber of the executive board of the Rat für Formgebung / German Design Council. She is the author of numerous publications, e.g. about Adolf Meyer, Egon Eiermann or the Fagus factory.