It is often seen as an enormous tragedy that Weimar Germany, which produced some of Europe’s greatest poets, playwrights, filmmakers, artists and musicians, ended in the tyranny and destruction of the NAZIS.
Despite (or perhaps because of) its political instability, this period of fledging democracy was a time of artistic experimentation and gave birth to some of most important modernist works of the 20th century.
Why do you think Weimar Germany became a centre of European art, philosophy, film and culture?
[slideshare id=328346&doc=culture-in-weimar-germany-1206920882539759-4&w=425]
[slideshare id=328345&doc=culture-in-weimar-republic-1206920828104375-3&w=425]
2 responses so far ↓
Weimar Germany became the centre of European art, culture and innovation because it not only had the basic resources for such a revolution, but the attitudes and situation of the nation after the war made it an attractive proposition. The population was the most educated in Europe, and the nation was tired of the grind of war and economic difficulty, so the inflow of US loans made cultural expansion an good alternative.
There is one large reason that Germany became the centre of European arts and this is due to the new democratic stance of the Weimar Government. Due to the introduction of Democracy, expression has larger boundaries and ideas and philosophies could be challenged through various forms of art whereas in Imperialistic Germany there were limits to what could be challenged. All in one period there was an influx of suppressed ideas and theories that artists could now explore, ranging from government satire, reflections of the poor times and provocative entertainment such as cabaret. A blanket was lifted over Weimar Germany.
Leave a Comment