Bauhaus and Leipzig
A "Bauhaus Leipzig" was at one time a real possibility: Before the art school moved from Dessau to Berlin, there were also negotiations about moving it to Leipzig - which were ultimately unsuccessful. But Leipzig was still enormously important for Bauhaus beginning in 1923/24. Bauhaus members found a stage for their new design ideas both at the Grassimessen and in the halls of the Mustermesse. And beyond Leipzig, industry in Saxony proved to be a strong partner for Bauhaus. One need only recall the city's lighting industry and the textile industry. Bauhaus also left significant marks in the modern architecture of Saxony. The "Bauhaus_Saxony" exhibition at the Grassi Museum for Applied Arts will be displaying these connections from 18 April 2019, focusing on the ongoing inspiration Bauhaus provides for contemporary artists.
"Art Deco" and "Neues Bauen" in Leipzig
Leipzig's architects, in particular the Head of Municipal Planning Hubert Ritter (1886-1967), also implemented Bauhaus ideas in their artistic work. His predecessor James Bühring (1871-1936) developed the Leipzig Art Deco style, which colloquially is also referred to as "Zigzag Modernism". Neues Bauen and Art Deco were two simultaneous trends that provided the defining styles of the so-called Golden Twenties. Both design approaches can often be found in one and the same building. The Leipzig architects Carl William Zweck (1878-1951) and Hans Voigt (1879-1953) designed the new Grassi Museum building in the Art Deco style while Hubert Ritter was responsible for designing the impressive "Pillared Hall." The Grassi Museum with the Pillared Hall as well as the reconstructed staircase window by the Bauhaus artist Josef Albers are stops definitely worth seeing on a "Grand Tour of Modernism" through Germany.
The Church of Reconciliation in the north, the Rundling (Nibelungensiedlung development) in the south, the "Bauhaus Reading Room" at the German National Library in the east and the Niemeyer Sphere of the Kirow Works in the west of Leipzig: Classical Modernism has left many traces in Leipzig and continues to inspire today. During the anniversary, visitors can experience the architecture through building tours (such as of the Bauhaus Reading Room at the German National Library or the Westbad Leipzig) or exhibitions (such as on the architects Otto Fischbeck, Wilhelm Zeev Haller, Johannes Koppe or the Haus Rabe cultural monument).
Additional Information
A list of important "Bauhaus Buildings" and planned events for the 2019 Anniversary Year can be found at: www.leipzig.de/bauhaus100 (german page).