Abstract
Modernism in Germany was ultimately detested, ridiculed, and outlawed by Adolf Hitler in Nazi Germany but in turn was the movement that assured his position in power. In the year 1929, an opportunist and German Art Society organizer, Feistal-Rohmedar, designed the artistic revolution within Germany and first introduced the thought regarding the extermination of modern artwork. Between the years of 1933 and 1937, the Third Reich and the German Art Society were also on a mission to rid Germany of Modernism and it wasn’t until 1936 that Modernism was completely ruled out. The Third Reich believed that artistic manifestation and political goals would become one and that political messages and statements would be presented through different art forms. Hitler believed that life was interconnected with art and believed that modern art was a disgrace to Germany. In 1937, two separate art exhibits, “The Degenerate Art Exhibit,” and “The Great Exhibition of German Art” were created and opened to the public to showcase the artwork that Hitler approved of and disapproved of. As these pieces were displayed, many modern works became a means of mockery to the German people. These pieces were mainly used as a means of propaganda and manipulation to change the attitudes of the German society regarding individuals of the Jewish community. Art within Nazi Germany was initially the source that brought ultimate power to Adolf Hitler, who became the leader of one of the most horrendous massacres in all of history.
Faculty Sponsors
Veronique Cote
Project Type
Event
Location
Alvin Sherman Library
Start Date
4-8-2016 1:00 PM
End Date
4-8-2016 5:30 PM
The Loss of Modernism in Nazi Germany
Alvin Sherman Library
Modernism in Germany was ultimately detested, ridiculed, and outlawed by Adolf Hitler in Nazi Germany but in turn was the movement that assured his position in power. In the year 1929, an opportunist and German Art Society organizer, Feistal-Rohmedar, designed the artistic revolution within Germany and first introduced the thought regarding the extermination of modern artwork. Between the years of 1933 and 1937, the Third Reich and the German Art Society were also on a mission to rid Germany of Modernism and it wasn’t until 1936 that Modernism was completely ruled out. The Third Reich believed that artistic manifestation and political goals would become one and that political messages and statements would be presented through different art forms. Hitler believed that life was interconnected with art and believed that modern art was a disgrace to Germany. In 1937, two separate art exhibits, “The Degenerate Art Exhibit,” and “The Great Exhibition of German Art” were created and opened to the public to showcase the artwork that Hitler approved of and disapproved of. As these pieces were displayed, many modern works became a means of mockery to the German people. These pieces were mainly used as a means of propaganda and manipulation to change the attitudes of the German society regarding individuals of the Jewish community. Art within Nazi Germany was initially the source that brought ultimate power to Adolf Hitler, who became the leader of one of the most horrendous massacres in all of history.
