Mislav Kužić’s Reviews > Weimar Germany: Promise and Tragedy > Status Update

Hannah Höch was a unique figure who, by creating collages on the theme of the New Woman, was trying to make her way in a man's world. It is difficult to say how successful she was in this, as the author probably mentions her more because of her personal life than her professional life.

The critique of modern society in the Reichstag by Thomas Mann and Bertolt Brecht attacked consumerism from both the left and the right. Some criticized the growing phenomenon of alienation and poverty, while others advocated the theoretical position of the republic as a place of freedom in contrast to the empire. Both Mann and Brecht were leftists, which further strengthens the impression of the authors' connivance.

The arrival of radio in more and more homes, as well as the increasing number of cinemas, began to create a new, mass culture in Germany. This phenomenon was criticized from the very beginning by many philosophers who feared the disappearance of critical thinking and the molding and homogenization of the population. Already, some recognized how people could be controlled through radio to think what others wanted.

The fascination with new technologies that gained mass character in the late 10s and early 20s is difficult to understand from today's time. Appearance of a radio on which you could listen to music from America must have been an unforgettable experience. It was the same with appearance of television and especially with the arrival of sound, the mass of these media naturally brought with it regulation from the state.

August Sander subtly expressed his thoughts and political affiliations, yet Sander, the most famous street photographer, did not escape the condemnation of the Nazis when they came to power. Film also developed strongly in the 1920s, and the classics Metropolis or Berlin: Symphony of a Metropolis. However, the author of the book praises left-wing artists, and we will see if he will also mention right-wing artists.

Other types of art were not left untouched by the Weimar enthusiasm for change. The painter and photographer László Moholy-Nagy was carried away by the ideas of freedom, equality and new possibilities, and he was not aware that he was building all this on the foundations of the Empire. In the Bauhaus, everyone was welcome in the new world, because the new arts became the great equalizer.

In Weimar Germany, politics was unavoidable, and this was also reflected in architecture. Walter Gropius and his Bauhaus University were a melting pot of new, "free" and progressive ideas. All of these ideas were largely funded by the state, and architects wanted to do things their own way without the interference of financiers. This created tensions that eventually spilled over from art criticism to nationalism.

As is the case when a major rupture occurs in a state and society, some individuals emerged from this cataclysm imbued with great optimism and new energy. This was certainly the case with the architect Bruno Taut, who saw new state as a beacon of freedom, openness and equality. Guided by this, he built his projects, each of which in its own way echoed his inner convictions. Another great figure was Erich Mendelsohn.

The great changes that were taking place in the German economy were slowly transforming it into a consumerist-global society. But as much as people felt happier on a personal level and could afford more, the sword of Damaclus of the Great War and reparations hung over them all. The chapter is quite torn, but the extreme right must always be mentioned. But it was a deep-rooted desire for revenge and a lack of shame.

Thanks to the Dawes Repayment Plan and the tough measures of Chancellor Stresemann, the German economy managed to pull itself out of recession and enter a more peaceful phase. It was still a weak economy, structured with a large number of small craftsmen who were not used to mass production, such as in Ford's factories. Consumerism was also growing, and women's emancipation was also faintly visible.