100 Years of the Bauhaus – History and places of interest

Weimar is often referred to as the birthplace of Bauhaus. The present-day Bauhaus University – and in particular its main building and the Van de Velde Building – is one of the most important pieces of art school architecture from the turn of the 20th century, and it was here that the Bauhaus was founded in 1919. The new bauhaus museum weimar is due to open in April 2019, and will house the collection of over 10,000 Bauhaus objects held by the Weimar Classics Foundation.

We also recommend a visit to Hohe Pappeln House (the former home of Henry van de Velde), the Nietzsche Archive and “Haus am Horn”, which was built according to designs by Georg Muche on the occasion of the major Bauhaus exhibition in 1923. To get a first impression of what your trip to Germany might look like, we have put out together a group tour suggestion to Weimar and Dessau. 

Built in 1925/26 according to designs by Walter Gropius, the Bauhaus complex in Dessau consists of a workshop wing, vocational school and studio building. Regarded as the jewel in the crown of the town’s Bauhaus buildings, the complex is home to a collection of around 100 objects ranging from a Wassily chair to a Wagenfeld lamp.

The Gropius-designed Master’s Houses date back to the same period, and stand in a row reminiscent of a pearl necklace that begins just a few metres from the main Bauhaus building. The test neighbourhood for industrialised residential development built in the district of Törten between 1926 and 1928 is no less impressive. The Kornhaus restaurant in northern Dessau has retained its popularity to this day, and offers a wonderful view of the Elbe from its winter garden atop the river embankment.

The Bauhaus was headquartered in Berlin from October 1932 until its final closure in July 1933. The Berlin-based Bauhaus Archive is home to the world’s largest collection on the history of the Bauhaus, and catches the eye from a distance with its pleasantly rounded roofs.