Bauhaus 100 years - the story of a German design school

Writer: Helena Bergström

Updated: August 2026 | Bauhaus turned 100 in 2019, but it wasn't the DIY store that had a birthday. No, we're talking about a completely different Bauhaus. The birthday boy is both a design school and a design movement. We were introduced to Bauhaus during a Bauhaus-themed dinner. Here's the story of the Bauhaus school, and top tips for travelling in the footsteps of Bauhaus.

Bauhaus - something completely different from a DIY store

When you hear the word 'Bauhaus', do you think of a DIY store? You won't be alone. Even for us, until recently, Bauhaus was synonymous with tools, paint and outdoor furniture. It was only when the German Tourist Board invited us to the Bauhaus themed dinner that a light went on for us.

Bauhaus school

The Bauhaus was a design school focusing on architecture and design, but also on subjects such as art, textiles, advertising, photography, graphic design and even performing arts. Much was based on a geometric design language based on the sphere, cube and cone, as well as the colours red, blue and yellow.

The basic ideas were about creating design and art for everyone, with functionality always at the centre. You could say that Bauhaus was a precursor to what we call 'funkis'.

Weimar and Dessau

The Bauhaus school was founded in 1919 in Weimar, in the state of Thuringia, south-west of Leipzig. Under the supervision of headmaster Walter Gropius, several craft workshops were formed and a first exhibition was held in 1923. However, not everyone liked the school's modernist views and in 1925 the school moved from conservative Weimar to social democratic Dessau, in the state of Saxony-Anhalt, north of Leipzig.

Nazism

During the Nazi era, the Bauhaus movement in Germany faced problems. When the Nazis seized power in Dessau in 1932, the school was forced to move to Berlin. A year later, it closed permanently. Many of the teachers and students fled to the US and other countries, spreading the school's ideas around the world.

Tough times for women in the Bauhaus school

It wasn't easy to make it as a woman in the artistic world. the women of the Bauhaus school often had no choice but to 'choose' the textile workshops. Here they decided to set the same high standards for the artistic aspects as in all other school subjects. However, few women achieved the status of 'masters' compared to their male colleagues.

During dinner, we heard interesting stories about several of the women, including the skilful textile artist Otti Berger, who unfortunately did not manage to escape to the USA and died in the concentration camp in Auschwitz.

Bauhaus significance

The teachers of the Bauhaus school were the most prominent architects and artists of the time, with a strong focus on social responsibility and community development. The movement had a huge influence on modern design, from architecture to graphic design, both in Germany and abroad. Today the Bauhaus is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, both the design school itself with its impact on the world and all the Bauhaus buildings in Dessau.

The link between bauhaus in Germany and funkis in Sweden

Functionalism, or funkis as it is commonly known, is the style that emerged in the 1920s and 1930s with the ideal of 'form follows function'. In Sweden, the style had its breakthrough at the Stockholm Exhibition on Djurgården in 1930. The exhibition attracted almost 4 million (!) visitors and the chief architect of the exhibition was Gunnar Asplund.

Things to see and do in Weimar

If you're visiting Weimar and want to immerse yourself in Bauhaus design, there are plenty of sights and activities:

• Bauhaus Museum in Weimar – Objects from the world's oldest Bauhaus collection are displayed here and the focus is on the school's early history.
• Haus am Horn is the famous first Bauhaus villa.
• Guided Bauhaus walk are organised throughout the city for those who want to know more.
• antiques is an antique shop where you can find design objects.

Things to see and do in Dessau

Dessau is strongly connected to the Bauhaus, and there is a lot to see here.

• All our tips for Dessau – 14 tips for the Bauhaus city.
• Bauhaus Museum in Dessau – Large museum showcasing architecture, furniture, lighting, textiles, wallpaper and fonts.
• Master houses are the houses designed by Rector Walter Gropius himself, and where some of the most famous teachers lived.
• The Dessau-Törten townhouse area - These 1920s terraced houses are a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
• Coffee in a Bauhaus environment in the Kornhaus building on the river Elbe. The building was designed by Carl Fieger and is located at Kornhausstrasse 146.

Things to see and do in Berlin

There are also many clear traces of the famous Berlin design school. Here are some examples of what you can see and do in Berlin:

• Bauhaus Archive is located during the renovation of the museum in Haus Hardenberg, a K-labeled office building in Charlottenburg, Berlin.
• Haus am Rupenhorn are houses built in the Bauhaus style in the 1920s.

Bauhaus in other parts of the world

When the teachers and students of the Bauhaus school were forced to flee Nazism, the teachings spread around the world, including to the United States. In Tel Aviv, Israel, there are also the white city, a residential area with 4000 Bauhaus-style houses.

In connection with the 100th anniversary, the German Tourist Office, in collaboration with the creative architecture firm DUS in Amsterdam, produced a mini version of the Bauhaus. DUS is so famous that the office was visited by Barack Obama when he was still president and on a business trip to Europe. TINY [BAU]HAUS is a 3D print made of sustainable material that has toured Europe.

More inspiration about Germany

Here you will find more reports about Germany, with inspiration for places to visit, events to discover and experiences to try:

• German castles
• Gifts to buy in Germany
• The Roman Empire in Germany
• Passion play in Oberammergau
• German places with a Swedish connection