junge menschen

kommt ans bauhausl

Hannes Meyer, Hans Wittwer ♦In 1929 ; Hannes Meyer put together
and the Dessau Bauhaus building a brochure on the Bauhaus. The
department: German Trades Union hand is taken from a photograph by
school (ADGB) in Bernau, near Berlin, Andreas Feininger.
1928-1930.
► Hannes Meyer visiting the building
site of the German Trades Union school
ADGB in 1928.

Hannes Meyer (ill. p. 345) remains the 'unknown Bauhaus director' even today. Histories
of the Bauhaus often condense his over three-year career at the Bauhaus — from April 1927
to August 1930 — into just one sentence. In actual fact, Meyer spent a few months longer at
the Bauhaus than his successor to the directorship, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe. Meyer's dis-
appearance from the history books is explained not by his activities as architect or Bauhaus
director, but by his political sympathies. He was sacked by the Dessau municipal authorities
in 1930 because it was feared that the activities of Communist students at the Bauhaus
could cost them valuable votes. Other figures behind Meyer's dismissal included Albers and
Kandinsky, as well as Gropius, who sought to diminish and falsify Meyer's contribution to
the Bauhaus right up to the last years of his life. It is only more recently that an international
reassessment of Meyer's role has begun.
Meyer was Swiss, a member of an old Basle family which had produced a large number
of architects. In Metzendorf's office he had worked on the planning of the Margaretenhohe
estate for Krupp in Essen. In 1919, he was commissioned to build the Freidorf cooperative
estate near Basle. The cooperative movement was at that time attempting to beat its own
path between capitalism and socialism and was a theoretical and practical philosophy
which Meyer profoundly supported. In the next few years he joined the group centred
around the Swiss architectural journal ABC Beitrage zum Bauen, whose authors included
Mart Stam, El Lissitzky and Hans Schmidt. Inspired by the most important contemporary
avant-garde artists of Dutch De Stijl and Russian Constructivism, 'ABC' developed the idea

344
 • A break for breakfast in the preliminary ►► Meyer's chart from 1930 illustrated
curse classroom, ca. 1927/28. the reorganisation of the teaching on the
I rem I.: Gustav Hassenpflug, standing basis of scientific aspects. The entire plan
behind August Agatz, unknown is laid out between the two poles of art
woman In the foreground: centre: and science. Sport, theatre and the
Wera Meyer-Waldeck: hidden behind: Bauhaus chapel in the first circle on the left
I ronz Eirlien, Hermann Bunzel offer physical and spiritual refreshment.
(2nd from r.), Albert Buske (r.). After completing the prelimina-y course
expanded by Meyer. students could enter
one of `he workshop areas represented
by the four circles on the right. Weaving
and advertising are independent fields,
while metal, joinery and mural painting
are amargamated under the heading
of interior design. The final circle is
dedico-ed to architecture. The total length
of study was increased. This chart, with
its 'work circles' or 'cells', lacks the
symbolic Utopian goal of the Bau
(building) of Gropius's days. The Werk
(work) actually created (far right) has
taken its place as a matter of course.

of a radically functional architecture which entirely rejected the concept of 'art'. Its
members believed that architecture was the result of systematic planning, that it should
arise from the materials employed and the needs of the user. Why, then, did Gropius
appoint the Swiss architect to the Bauhaus? Gropius had spent months looking for
someone to head what was to be the new department of architecture. His first choice,
the Dutch architect Mart Stam, had declined the position. Stam attended the opening
of the new Bauhaus building with Meyer and now recommended his colleague for the
job. A short while later Hannes Meyer visited the Bauhaus a second time: 'Hannes
Meyer here since yesterday to have a good look at the Bauhaus and decide if he is
coming or not. Gave a short talk about his buildings, of which he has brought some
sketches. His design for the League of Nations building in Geneva seems particularly
outstanding. Gr(opius) is highly satisfied and finds more than he expected, especially
where practical experience is concerned ... At a personal level he seems very nice,
albeit a bit wooden like all Swiss. Very clear, open, definite, no great tensions or
contradictions in his character: 103 But Meyer was not afraid to criticise what he saw at
the Bauhaus: 'I find myself extremely critical of most of ... the work exhibited for the
opening celebrations ... A lot reminds me immediately of "Dornach — Rudolf Steiner", in
other words, sectarian and aesthetic _ 1104 Not long afterwards, however, he decided to
accept the appointment. He started work at the beginning of April in the summer
semester of 1927. He was in charge of the newly established architecture
department. He immediately laid down the guidelines for his subsequent
347
► Lena (Helene) Bergner (Meyer)
(1906-1981): Colour exercise from
Paul Klee's class in the weaving workshop
of the Bauhaus, ca. 1927. Six colour
exercises: pen and ink and watercolour
on paper, 29.6 x 21 cm. Zentrum
Paul Klee, Bern.

Bauhaus activities: 'The fundamental direction of my teaching will be absolutely towards

the functional-collectivist-constructive ...'
The initially harmonious, if not entirely uncritical relationship between Gropius and Meyer
was not to develop further. 'With very few exceptions, we operate absolutely independently
of one another ... Gropius lives an entirely separate life to me. We do not get on at all,'
wrote Meyer to Willi Baumeister in November 1927. One of the problems may well have
been that Meyer and his department lacked a building commission. 'For three -fourths of
a year now we have done nothing but theory in our building department and have had to
sit and watch while Gropius's private practice is permanently busy.' 105 Gropius nevertheless
suggested Meyer as his successor as director at the beginning of 1928. This recommendation
may have been inspired by Meyer's professional and teaching qualifications. Students and
the Council of Masters were equally ready for new ideas. Meyer, after just nine months at
the school, accepted the job, and his new position was confirmed shortly afterwards by both
the city of Dessau and the Council of Masters.

Reorganisation of the Bauhaus

Even before he had taken up his new post, Meyer had summed up the situation at the Bau -
haus in a letter to Adolf Behne: 'The future of the Bauhaus has become the subject of violent
internal dispute. I agree with the students and the majority of masters that we must take
an absolutely categorical stand against the bogus advertising theatricality of the previous

350
• Bella Ullmann: 'Bicycle' and inverted ► Studio for theatre costumes at the
stool from Kandinsky's 'Analytical Drawing' Bauhaus in Dessau, where Karla Grosch
doss, 1929/30. is trying on a costume for the Metal
Dance. On the wall is a large letter B,
which can also be seen in the
parody (ill. p.3551.

Bauhaus. Our budget is so modest that we cannot afford the luxury of all this private publicity
and so many considerations. '106
Once Bauhaus director, Hannes Mayer initiated an immediate and thorough reform of the
school's internal structure. Intensive discussions were opened as early as January 1928 and
continued, with student participation, for several weeks. In the summer semester that yea!
Meyer implemented five fundamental organisational changes:
1 . Expansion of the preliminary course. Klee and Kandinsky had their teaching hours
increased and the course material for the first (Kandinsky), second (Klee), third (Schlemmer)
and fourth semesters (Kandinsky) firmly specified.
First-semester students now had to attend Albers's 12-lessons-a-week materials course
(Vorkurs) as well as Kandinsky's 'Abstract form elements' and 'Analytical drawing' classes
(ills. pp. 354-356). They also had a compulsory lettering class with Joost Schmidt. In the
summer semester of 1930, an obligatory course was introduced on 'Representation and
Norm' (taught by Hans Volger). In their second semester, students continued their studies
with Albers and Joost Schmidt as well as starting a new theoretical course on the 'Elementary
design of the plane' with Klee (ill. p. 351). As had been the case since 1924, new students
could join a workshop in their second semester. The third semester introduced life drawing
classes by Schlemmer, as well as his course on 'Man' (ills. pp. 358 and 359). Schlemmer
sought to present Man as a triple unity, teaching his physical nature via proportion and
movement, his emotional nature via psychology, and his intellectual existence via philosophy

356 357
• The Bauhaus student Kurt Stolp in the ♦ Nude drawing class ; 1930. After
ride drawing class in around 1930. Schlemrrer had left the Bauhaus in 1929,
lode drawing was already offered the student Fritz Kuhr led the course
an optional subject in the curriculum 'Representational Drawing and Nude and
.11921/22 (ill. p. 44). Under Figure Drawing', which placed
kinnes Meyer, nude drawing became less emphasis on theory, until 1930.
Ill official part of the course.

and intellectual history. Technology and politics did not feature in this idealised vision of
holistic man. The course was taught for barely a year, since Schlemmer left the Bauhaus in
..ummer 1929.
Fourth-semester students had to take another course from Kandinsky. Meyer saw the tuition
!jiven by these four teachers as forming the 'artistic pole' of the Bauhaus curriculum.
2. For students in the workshops, tuition was now organised between the two poles of
science and art. One day of the week — Monday — was devoted to the arts, while Friday was
reserved for the sciences. Tuesday to Thursday were spent in the workshops, with students
working an eight-hour day corresponding to industrial conditions. On Saturdays there was
sport (ills. pp. 362 and 363). Now extended to seven semesters, the total period of study
was the longest yet. Innovations here included the clear distinction between science and
art and the increasingly scientific orientation of design activities, which Meyer encouraged
through a series of new appointments and guest lecturers.
3. The architecture department was divided into two parts: architectural theory and prac tical
building. The entire architecture course was to last nine semesters. Although initially small,
this department was the most important in the entire Bauhaus; it was the hub around which all
other departments were oriented.
4. Meyer revised the financial basis of the workshops and reorganised internal activities,
so that student revenues were raised and Bauhaus returns also grew. There was an overall
expansion of productive operations.

361
• Karla Grosch with students doing High jumper in front of the
gymnastics on the roof of the Prellerhaus, Prellerhaus, 1930.
ca. 1930. Photograph by T. Lux Feininger.

5. Meyer now opened the school's doors even to apparently untalented students. 'The
Bauhaus ... does not want to specialise in the talented.. but simply wants to attract as many
people as possible, to then correctly integrate them into society.' Meyer saw this integration
into society as the only acceptable purpose of Bauhaus education: 'Every student should be
a lay member of a symbiosis." 07 In the winter semester of 1929/30 the number of students
indeed rose from about 150 to some 190-200. It was only then that Meyer realised his
mistake. The Bauhaus and its workshops clearly reached the limits of their capacity. It was
announced in the press that the maximum number of students was to be limited to 150.
Gropius's departure was accompanied by that of three other masters: Herbert Bayer,
Marcel Breuer and Moholy-Nagy. Meyer used this as an excuse to reorganise the workshops
in the following year.
The metal, joinery and mural painting workshops were amalgamated into one large interior
design workshop and placed under the direction of Alfred Arndt, whom Meyer had specially
appointed to the Bauhaus for the purpose. This precipitated the resignation of Marianne
Brandt, who had previously been deputising as head of the metal workshop; Meyer subse -
quently suggested resignation to Hinnerk Scheper, head of the mural painting workshop, who
had been granted a year's sabbatical leave to go to Russia (15 July 1929 -1930). Meyer
offered the following explanation for his amalgamation of the workshops: 'Under a united
management, the joinery, metal and mural painting workshops may seek to produce results
more in the spirit of popular household goods.' 1°8
363

362