(Washington D.C., Tuesday, April 30, 2019) – This year marks the 100th anniversary of Bauhaus design and despite its name—Bauhaus is German for “building house”—the design principles that embrace minimalism are applied to much more than just architecture. From the sleek look and feel of the iPhone to the simplicity of today’s most popular fonts to famous buildings like the Farnsworth House in Chicago or Black Mountain College in North Carolina, you don’t have to look far to see the impact Bauhaus has had on today’s culture.
Christoph Muecher, director of the Wunderbar Together initiative, which is hosting a year of events celebrating the US and Germany, discusses the importance of the Bauhaus anniversary.
SOUNDBITE #1:
AFTER THE BAUHAUS SCHOOL WAS SHUT DOWN BY THE NAZIS, ITS FOUNDERS MOVED TO THE UNITED STATES. AMERICAN DESIGNERS AND ARTISTS EMBRACED THEIR PHILOSOPHY VERY QUICKLY – ESPECIALLY IN BOSTON AT HARVARD AND IN CHICAGO. AND IT WAS ALL ABOUT BRINGING TRADITIONAL CRAFT AND ARTISTRY INTO THE MODERN MACHINE AGE. AND ONE OF THEIR CORE IDEAS IS “FORM FOLLOWS FUNCTION.” AND ONCE THE SCHOOL CAME TO THE U-S, AMERICANS TOOK THESE IDEAS AND MADE THEM THEIR OWN. TODAY, YOU CAN SEE THEIR INFLUENCE EVERYWHERE YOU LOOK – FROM FURNITURE DESIGN TO OFFICE TOWERS TO YOUR DESKTOP INTERFACE.
SOUNDBITE #2:
A CENTURY LATER, THESE PRINCIPLES ARE SO INTEGRATED INTO AMERICAN ART, CULTURE, AND TECH THAT MANY AMERICANS RECOGNIZE AND INTERACT WITH THEIR DESIGN WITHOUT EVEN REALIZING IT. THIS IS A GREAT EXAMPLE OF THE WAY US AND GERMANY HAVE INFLUENCED EACH OTHER’S CULTURES. JUST LIKE GERMAN IMMIGRATION SHAPED AMERICAN HERITAGE AND TRADITIONS – LIKE PICNIC FOODS OR HOLIDAY TRADITIONS – BAUHAUS SHOWS THE DEEP HISTORICAL TIES AND SHARED CULTURE BETWEEN OUR TWO COUNTRIES.
Special commemorations will be hosted as part of a year-long initiative called Wunderbar Together, which is celebrating U.S.-German friendship and heritage with over 1,500 events across all 50 states Wunderbar Together. For more information and to find an event near you, visit wunderbartogether.org.