Text Summary 2.3:What can you tell about Weimar

Germany from its culture?

Weimar culture

• Period of exciting cultural developments• Censorship removed• Berlin replaced Paris as cultural capital of

Europe• Developments in painting, cinema,

architecture, design, theatre• Not popular in all sections of German

society• What does Weimar culture tell us?

Painting

• Before war art was not about daily life

• Weimar period saw focus on everyday life

• Art commenting on society

• New objectivity– George Grosz – Otto Dix

Cinema

• Golden age for German cinema

• Fritz Lang – Metropolis

• Marlene Dietrich

Architecture

• Bauhaus

• Art and technology

• Basic shapes and colours

• Economy and simplicity

Theatre

• Theatre well supported but in past it was mostly classic productions

• Weimar period saw new productions – theatre and opera of the time

• Set in 1920s

• Greater realism

Cabaret and nightlife

• Club scene with daring shows and naked dancers

• Shocking change from pre-war

• Transvestite events

• Sex and homosexuality discussed openly

Backlash

• New developments mainly in Berlin and big cities

• Many Germans were shocked by liberal attitudes

• Saw Berlin as sleazy and wanted more traditional values and approaches