The Bauhaus buildings and their sites in Weimar and Dessau

The Bauhaus buildings and their sites in Weimar and Dessau

From 1919 to 1933, the Bauhaus School, originally founded in Weimar and later established in Dessau, transformed architectural style while inheriting traditions from the Renaissance. The buildings constructed and decorated by the school’s professors launched a modernist architectural movement and became the early prototype of 20th-century architecture.

The Bauhaus and its sites in Weimar were first established in 1919 as the school’s initial location, sharing space with the Grand Ducal Saxon School of Arts at the time. In 1996, the early-style Bauhaus and its sites in Dessau (now the site of the Bauhaus-Universität Weimar), designed by Henry van de Velde, were inscribed by UNESCO as a “World Heritage Site.”

The Bauhaus and its sites in Dessau combine the art and technology of architecture, serving as a precursor to modern industrial civilization. Just as significant as the architecture are the works of painters and other Bauhaus artists, which have become an indelible part of human cultural history. In 1932, members of the German National Socialist Party forcibly closed the Bauhaus in Dessau, and the site suffered damage during the war. It was not until 1975/76 that extensive efforts were made to restore it to its original state. Today, it stands as the birthplace of the Bauhaus architectural movement and has resumed its original function: housing a specialized academy that trains students in fields such as architectural engineering, design, and surveying.

Bauhaus and its Sites in Weimar and Dessau

Why you should go: The world’s earliest example of modern industrial civilization

Continent where the attraction is located: Europe【Europe】

Country/region where the attraction is located: Germany[Germany]

Province/state where the attraction is located: Saxony-Anhalt, Thuringia [Sachsen-Anhalt, Thüringen]