land of modernism: let yourself be inspired
From the Bauhaus building in Dessau, the works of Lyonel Feininger in Halle and Quedlinburg, to the estate buildings in Magdeburg and Lutherstadt Wittenberg – today, Saxony-Anhalt stands not only for the Bauhaus movement, but the dawn of modernism itself. Visitors can search for the traces of this fascinating history in the original Bauhaus sites, the Bauhaus Museum, more than 39 constructions, and countless institutions and places engaging with Bauhaus and modernism. Here is where creative and revolutionary ideas were established in architecture, art, design, photography, and dance.
100 years of Bauhaus Dessau
100 years ago, the Bauhaus moved from Weimar to Dessau. Dessau is the city most closely associated with the Bauhaus. This is where the school of design was active for the longest period of time and where it experienced its golden period between 1925 and 1932. All three directors of the Bauhaus, Walter Gropius, Hannes Meyer and Mies van der Rohe, lived and worked here. This period was also the heyday for Bauhaus architecture, which is why most Bauhaus buildings are located in Dessau-Roßlau. The Bauhaus building, the Masters' Houses and the Laubenganghäuser (Houses with Balkony Access) are UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
From September 2025 until 2026, the Bauhaus Dessau will be celebrating this anniversary with a spectacular program: The multifaceted exhibitions, festivals, concerts and performances will be particularly intriguing. Under the heading “To the Substance”, materials from the modern age and the present will be the focus of a surprising and astonishing program.
The opening festival will kick off on September 4, 2025, when the historical material dances that were once part of Bauhaus teacher Oskar Schlemmer's lessons will be reinterpreted by contemporary artists and premiered on the historic Bauhaus stage. Italian composer and sound artist Piero Mottola has created a score entitled “The Voices of Bauhaus”, which will also be performed for the first time on the historic stage. The big anniversary kick-off will be accompanied by a colorful program of concerts, a large parade in the city and various activities for young and old.
The anniversary highlight is the opening of five major exhibitions at various historical Bauhaus locations in Dessau at the end of March 2026. Under the titles Glass | Concrete | Metal, Algae | Rubble | CO2, Slats | Purlin | Knots, Brick | Shed | Electricity and Sheet Metal | Membrane | Porthole, the focus will be on various materials. The exhibitions offer deep insights into the foundations of the Bauhaus, its material and immaterial substance and its relevance for the present day.
Join us in Dessau and follow the invitation to immerse yourself in the fascinating world of modernism, where art, architecture and design were rethought - and continue to inspire to this day.
