Bauhaus brand 1919-2019

Not function and use distinguish the Bauhaus, but symbolism. Whether square, triangle or circle, whether Wagenfeld lamp, Schlemmer head or white cubes with flat roofs: Bauhaus created iconic pictorial symbols and a style that is neither functional nor social, but visually striking. From the very beginning, Bauhaus founder Walter Gropius aimed to turn the Bauhaus into a brand - with success. Be it in consumerism, politics or culture: more than eighty years after its closure, the Bauhaus is more present than ever before. In the meantime, it has become a participatory brand that can no longer be controlled centrally, but on which countless producers and consumers have co-written. The former promise of functionality and social commitment, however, remains unfulfilled. The book by Philipp Oswalt, former director of the Bauhaus Dessau Foundation, is devoted to this prominent branding and use, with numerous pictorial examples and substantial texts.