THE GOLDEN YEARS OF WEIMAR

1924-1929

“ Life seemed more free, more modern, more exciting than any place I have ever been . . . Everywhere there was an accent on youth.

One sat up with young people all night in the pavement cafes, the plush bars, on a

Rhineland steamer or in a smoke filled artist’s studio and talked endlessly about life. Most

Germans one met struck you as being democratic, liberal, even pacifist.

Journalist William L Shirer, 1941

YOUR KEY QUESTION

What evidence is there that life in Weimar Germany improved socially, economically and politically between

1924 and 1929?

ECONOMIC IMPROVEMENTS➤ The Dawes Plan➤ The Rentenmark➤ US loans

For each of these, complete the following tasks:1. Briefly describe it2. Explain its origins

3. Explain how it contributed to Weimar’s ‘golden years’ - i.e. how did it make life in Weimar Germany better?

POLITICAL IMPROVEMENTS➤ Signed the Treaty of Locarno and joined the League of

Nations➤ Formed the Great Coalition in 1923➤ New social legislation e.g. Provisional Work Hours Law and

Unemployment Insurance Act

For each of these, complete the following tasks:1. Briefly describe it2. Explain its origins

3. Explain how it contributed to Weimar’s ‘golden years’ - i.e. how did it make life in Weimar Germany better?

CULTURAL IMPROVEMENTS➤ Three major cultural movements marked the golden

years of Weimar - ➤ Dadaism (art)➤ Bauhaus (architecture)➤ Expressionism (cinema)

DADAISM➤ Emerged in Switzerland during WWI➤ Anarchistic art - rejected traditional art, anti-war, hated

middle-class capitalist values➤ Intent was to disrupt artistic tradition and destroy

perceptions about what art “should” be - no logic or rules to their work, often designed to shock or confuse viewers

➤ Great use of collage and montage, particularly with clashing images or images; collages did not always make sense

➤ German Dadaist art was very political e.g. Otto Dix, heavily influenced by the Dada school, painted cropped war veterans and despairing civilians in Berlin (the Nazis would later deem Dix’s work “degenerate” and order it painted over or burned)

THE WORK OF OTTO DIX

BAUHAUS➤ Named for an art school in Weimar founded by

architect Walter Gropius➤ An architectural style that united industrial mass

production with artistic design➤ Wanted to experiment with new shapes and colours

but only those that could be mass-produced and functional

➤ Great use of tubular steel and synthetic materials rather than natural materials like wood

➤ Bauhaus furniture and homes were minimalist, streamlined, comfortable and ergonomically sound

BAUHAUS DESIGN

EXPRESSIONSM➤ German film industry devastated by WWI - Hollywood

dominated film with light-hearted, mass-produced film➤ Economic recovery in the 1920s allowed German cinema to

flourish again ➤ Small budgets so they found new ways to convey emotion,

atmosphere and mood - through lighting, camera angles and movement

➤ Films were usually dark and explored themes including the destructive powers of money and technology, social decay and crime

➤ The birth of horror came from this period - The Cabinet of Dr Caligari

➤ Fritz Lang the most significant Weimar director

FRITZ LANG’S ‘METROPOLIS’➤ Watch the beginning of the film and identify some key

expressionistic elements - focus on lighting, movement and themes of social control

➤ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rGgon2YeISw

1920S BERLIN➤ As these movements flowered Berlin became a cultural

and artistic centre in Europe➤ The influx of funds from the US increased spending and

Berlin became a city known for its nightlife (especially cabaret) and decadence

➤ It was also a city known for sexual liberation and openness - it had an LGBT scene, a trans performer scene and an erotic performance scene. Sex workers were common and open

➤ This made Berlin extremely popular for a time, but also brought on much criticism from more conservative Germans outside the city, who saw it as decadent, immoral and further indicative of how the Weimar period was destroying Germany

1920S BERLIN

YOUR TASK➤ Briefly explain how German culture changed during

the golden years of Weimar➤ Account for the rise of Dadaism, Bauhaus architecture

and Expressionist cinema in this period➤ Explain how Weimar cultural, technological and

scientific advancements led to Berlin becoming a great European city in this period