German far-right party targets iconic Bauhaus school ahead of landmark state election
DESSAU, Germany (AP) — Nearly a century after the Nazis shut down the world-famous Bauhaus school of design, it has once again become a cultural…
Nearly a century after the Nazis closed the renowned Bauhaus design school, it has once again become a cultural flashpoint between Germany's traditional establishment and the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party. AfD has labeled the art movement an "aberration of modernism." Founded in 1919, Bauhaus merged art and industry, shaping global design to this day.
The school's iconic building in Dessau, Saxony-Anhalt, draws visitors and remains a cultural landmark. Attacks on Bauhaus by AfD coincide with Saxony-Anhalt's upcoming election, which could grant a far-right party state control for the first time since World War II. AfD seeks an absolute majority in the state legislature on Sunday, a result that could shake German politics and potentially impact cultural freedoms.
AfD contends that Bauhaus disregards "the human need for security" in its election manifesto. The party's platform includes implementing the slogan "Think German" to replace the current tagline "Think Modern," which AfD deems a "policy of a lack of identity." In 2024, AfD criticized Bauhaus in the state legislature, calling it an "aberration of modernism."
Hans-Thomas Tillschneider, AfD's cultural policy spokesperson, argued that the school violated "the human need for security and comfort in every conceivable way."
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