Weimar culture

What was the ‘Golden Age’?

A time of flourishing culture, with developments to architecture, art, and the cinema

What was the importance of Berlin?

It was the third largest city in the world at the time, and was the centre of German cultural and intellectual life

How did education and intellectual life improve in the Weimar Republic?

Weimar Germany was associated with science and philosophy - Albert Einstein and Max Plank were well-known names, who both worked in Germany in the 1920s, and many important philosophers gained their university degrees from German unis in the 1920s, and several key books were published too

How did the visual arts improve in the Weimar Republic?

The Bauhaus school was founded in Weimar in 1919, and this influenced architecture and fine art.

What were the two main movements of fine art?

Bada (which protested against traditional art conventions and western culture) and new objectivity (challenging expressionism to return to traditional art styles to reflect the harsh reality of war)

When did art expressionism change?

In 1933 - when the Nazis came to power, because Hitler rejected modern art as morally corrupt

Why did Germany lose many artists after 1933?

The antisemitic values of the Nazis caused the numerous Jewish artists to flee abroad. As well as this, many of the best German artists wanted to continue their art styles, some of which were banned, so they moved away in order to continue pursuing this

How did music improve in the Weimar Republic?

It was dominated by three main streams: jazz, modern classical and cabaret

Where did jazz styles come from?

There was an increasing influence in Germany of American culture

Where were many cabaret songs found?

In nightclubs, many of which played vulgar songs, which would have been banned under the Kaiser’s rule

What else happened in nightclubs?

Naked dancing and even transvestite evenings - where women dressed as men and men dressed as women

How did cinema improve in the Weimar Republic?

There was an expressionist style with exaggerated acting. Atmospheric films were also popular, and horror and crime were common themes

Why was an expressionist style popular?

There was high economic disruption, so unrealistic sets and exaggerated acting was favoured for this style

How were atmospheric films made?

Typically small sets with low budgets

How were horror and crime films developed?

They used shadowed lighting, distorted perspectives and intentionally artificial sets were common

How did literature improve in the Weimar Republic?

There were 120 newspapers available in Weimar Germany, so writing was a big business

What was the reputation of Berlin?

Some viewed it as morally corrupt - this is because the city was known for having transvestites and openly gay men and women living there, despite homosexuality being illegal at the time. However, others embraced these changes

What was the opinion of the Nazis about the changes in Weimar culture?

They openly criticised the nightclubs and art of the period, and restricted these changes once they gained power in 1933