Cultural Changes

What created the culture change in the Weimar Republic?

There was a revival in culture during the Weimar Republic which saw people express themselves through art, architecture, cinema and experimentation. This was driven by the new freedoms of the 1920s.

What was this period of cultural change in the Weimar Republic known as?

The period of revival during the Weimar Republic is sometimes known by 2 different names.

• ❖ Some call it 'the Golden Age' because of the cultural changes.
• ❖ It is also referred to by some as 'the Stresemann Era', because it occurred under the leadership of Weimar politician Gustav Stresemann.

Why did arts and culture change in Weimar Germany?

There were cultural changes in Weimar Germany due to 4 key reasons:

• ❖ Worldwide trends in art and culture and a reaction to the horror of the First World War.
• ❖ The country was recovering economically after 1924 so there was more money to spend on arts and culture.
• ❖ The political changes the country had experienced as it changed from a monarchy to a democracy allowed for more freedom of expression and speech.
• ❖ Several art and cultural movements influenced the change.

Which movements in the Weimar Republic affected arts and culture?

Cultural change in the Weimar Republic was influenced by 4 main artistic and cultural movements of the time.

• ❖ New Objectivism.
• ❖ Modernism.
• ❖ Expressionism.
• ❖ The Bauhaus movement.

How was the art of the Weimar Republic affected by cultural change?

Art underwent a cultural change in Weimar Germany as there were new expressionist artists such as Otto Dix and Otto Müller. Some expressionist painters like Dix and George Grosz painted images which were very negative about life in Weimar Germany. Other expressionists artists produced work that was more spiritual.

How was the architecture of the Weimar Republic affected by cultural change?

Architecture underwent some cultural change in Weimar Germany as some architects such as Erich Mendelsohn designed buildings in the Bauhaus style, while Emil Fahrenkamp built modernist buildings. Both styles rejected all that was considered traditional.

How was the cinema of the Weimar Republic influenced by cultural change?

Cinema underwent a significant cultural change as film became very popular across the world and technology developed so films using sound, or 'talkies' as they were known, were made. One of Germany's first science fiction films, 'Metropolis', was about life in the 20th century.

What opposition was there to the changes in arts and culture in Weimar Germany?

There were 2 main groups that were opposed to these cultural changes in the Weimar Republic:

• ❖ Traditionalists criticised these cultural changes because they believed it undermined family values and Germany's traditional way of life. In particular, right-wing political parties such as the Nazis were highly critical of Weimar culture and saw it as 'degenerate'.
• ❖ Many socialists and communists were also highly critical because they believed that the new art and cultural developments only benefitted the middle and upper class, while the working class were still suffering from a lower standard of living.