The Arbeitsrat für Kunst (

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ger ...

: 'Workers council for art' or 'Art Soviet') was a union of architects, painters, sculptors and art writers, who were based in Berlin from 1918 to 1921. It developed as a response to the Workers and Soldiers councils and was dedicated to the goal of bringing the current developments and tendencies in architecture and art to a broader population. The Arbeitsrat worked closely with the

Novembergruppe The November Group (german: Novembergruppe) was a group of German expressionist artists and architects. Formed on 3 December 1918, they took their name from the month of the German Revolution. The group was led by Max Pechstein and César Klein ...

and the

Deutscher Werkbund The Deutscher Werkbund (English: "German Association of Craftsmen"; ) is a German association of artists, architects, designers and industrialists established in 1907. The Werkbund became an important element in the development of modern arch ...

. Some of the architects represented in the Arbeitsrat united in the

Glass Chain The Glass Chain or Crystal Chain sometimes known as the "Utopian Correspondence" (german: Die Gläserne Kette) was a chain letter that took place between November 1919 and December 1920. It was a correspondence of architects that formed a basis of e ...

, or joined the correspondence group,

Der Ring Der Ring was an architectural collective founded in 1926 in Berlin. It emerged from expressionist architecture with a functionalist agenda. Der Ring was a group of young architects, formed with the objective of promoting Modernist architecture. ...

. Many members were important founders of the

Bauhaus The Staatliches Bauhaus (), commonly known as the Bauhaus (), was a German art school operational from 1919 to 1933 that combined crafts and the fine arts.Oxford Dictionary of Art and Artists (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 4th edn., 200 ...

. Individual members informed the most important German academy of art of the time, the Staatliche Akademie für Kunst und Kunstgewerbe Breslau, as well as the Bauhaus.

Aims

Their demands were: the acknowledgment of all tasks of building as public and not private tasks, the abolition of all official privileges, the establishment of community centers as places to exchange art and ideas, the dissolution of the Academy of the arts and the Prussian national art commission, the release of architectural, plastics, painting and handicraft commissions from national patronage, the promotion of museums as education places, the removal of artistically worthless monuments and the formation of a state body to oversee and promote education in the arts. The Arbeitsrat reacted to the unpalatable situation concerning orders for young architects, who were lost in the

First world war World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

Members

The founding members were

Bruno Taut Bruno Julius Florian Taut (4 May 1880 – 24 December 1938) was a renowned German architect, urban planner and author of Prussian Lithuanian heritage ("taut" means "nation" in Lithuanian). He was active during the Weimar period and is know ...

Walter Gropius Walter Adolph Georg Gropius (18 May 1883 – 5 July 1969) was a German-American architect An architect is a person who plans, designs and oversees the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to provide services in conne ...

acting from 1919, César Klein, and

Adolf Behne Adolf Behne (13 July 1885 – 22 August 1948) was a critic, art historian, architectural writer, and artistic activist. He was one of the leaders of the Avant Garde in the Weimar Republic. Behne was born in Magdeburg and studied architecture br ...

as Chairman. The signatories of the first manifesto were - besides Taut, Gropius, Klein and Behne: *

Otto Bartning Otto Bartning (12 April 1883 in Karlsruhe – 20 February 1959 in Darmstadt) was a Modernist German architect, architectural theorist and teacher. In his early career he developed plans with Walter Gropius for the establishment of the Bauhaus. H ...

Rudolf Belling Rudolf Belling (26 August 1886 – 9 June 1972) was a German sculptor. His work was part of the sculpture event in the art competition at the 1932 Summer Olympics. Artistic theories At the very beginning of the 20th century Rudolf Bel ...

* Arthur Degner *

Lyonel Feininger Lyonel Charles Feininger (July 17, 1871January 13, 1956) was a German-American painter, and a leading exponent of Expressionism. He also worked as a caricaturist and comic strip artist. He was born and grew up in New York City, traveling to Germa ...

Otto Freundlich Otto Freundlich (10 July 1878 – 9 March 1943) was a German painter and sculptor of Jewish origin. A part of the first generation of abstract painters in Western art, Freundlich was a great admirer of cubism. Life Freundlich was born in ...

Yefim Golïshev Yefim Golyshev ( uk, Юхим Голишев), variously transliterated as ''Golyscheff'', ''Golyschev'', ''Golishiff'', ''Golishev'', etc., 8 September 1897 – 25 September 1970) was a Ukrainian-born painter and composer who was mainly active in ...

* August Griesbach * Hermann Hasler * Erwin Hahs *

Erich Heckel Erich Heckel (31 July 1883 – 27 January 1970) was a German painter and printmaker, and a founding member of the group ''Die Brücke'' ("The Bridge") which existed 1905–1913. His work was part of the art competitions at the 1928 Summer Oly ...

* Paul Rudolf Henning *

Karl Jakob Hirsch Karl may refer to: People * Karl (given name), including a list of people and characters with the name * Karl der Große, commonly known in English as Charlemagne * Karl Marx, German philosopher and political writer * Karl of Austria, last Austri ...

Walter Kaesbach Walter may refer to: People * Walter (name), both a surname and a given name * Little Walter, American blues harmonica player Marion Walter Jacobs (1930–1968) * Gunther (wrestler), Austrian professional wrestler and trainer Walter Hahn (born 19 ...

Georg Kolbe Georg Kolbe (15 April 1877 – 20 November 1947) was a German sculptor. He was the leading German figure sculptor of his generation, in a vigorous, modern, simplified classical style similar to Aristide Maillol of France. Early life and educa ...

Gerhard Marcks Gerhard Marcks (18 February 1889 – 13 November 1981) was a German artist, known primarily as a sculptor, but who is also known for his drawings, woodcuts, lithographs and ceramics. Early life Marcks was born in Berlin, where, at the age of 18, ...

Ludwig Meidner Ludwig Meidner (18 April 1884 – 14 May 1966) was a German expressionist painter and printmaker born in Bernstadt, Silesia. Meidner is best known for his painted, drawn, and printed portraits and landscapes, but is especially noted for h ...

Moritz Melzer Moritz is the German equivalent of the name Maurice. It may refer to: People Given name * Saint Maurice, also called Saint Moritz, the leader of the legendary Roman Theban Legion in the 3rd century * Prince Moritz of Hesse (2007), the son of ...

Otto Mueller Otto Müller (16 October 1874 – 24 September 1930) was a German painter and printmaker of the Die Brücke expressionist movement. Life and work Mueller was born in Liebau (now Lubawka, Kamienna Góra County), Kreis Landeshut, Silesia. Betwe ...

* Franz Mutzenbecher *

Emil Nolde Emil Nolde (born Hans Emil Hansen; 7 August 1867 – 13 April 1956) was a German-Danish painter and printmaker. He was one of the first Expressionists, a member of Die Brücke, and was one of the first oil painting and watercolor painters of the ...

Max Pechstein Hermann Max Pechstein (31 December 1881 – 29 June 1955) was a German expressionist painter and printmaker and a member of the Die Brücke group. He fought on the Western Front during World War I and his art was classified as Degenerate A ...

* Friedrich Perzynski * Heinrich Richter-Berlin *

Richard Scheibe Richard Scheibe (19 April 1879, Chemnitz – 6 October 1964, Berlin) was a German artist primarily remembered as a sculptor. He trained as a painter, and taught himself to sculpt beginning in 1906. From 1925-1933 he taught at the Städelsches K ...

Karl Schmidt-Rottluff Karl Schmidt-Rottluff (Karl Schmidt until 1905; 1 December 1884 – 10 August 1976) was a German expressionist painter and printmaker; he was one of the four founders of the artist group Die Brücke. Life and work Schmidt-Rottluff was born in ...

* Fritz Stuckenberg *

Georg Tappert Georg Tappert (20 October 1880, in Berlin – 16 November 1957, in Berlin) was a German expressionist painter. Tappert underwent an apprenticeship as a tailor, before gaining employment at various tailoring businesses for two years. However he a ...

Max Taut Max Taut (15 May 1884 – 26 February 1967) was a German architect of Prussian Lithuanian heritage. Biography Max Taut was born in Königsberg, the younger brother of Bruno Taut. He, his brother and Franz Hoffman formed Taut & Hoffman, an ar ...

* Arnold Topp * Wilhelm Reinhold Valentiner Over 100 artists and architects from Germany and abroad, supported the group and were participants in its exhibitions. Some of these were: * Karl Paul Andrae * Walter Curt Behrendt *

Max Berg Max Berg (17 April 1870 – 22 January 1947) was a German architect and urban planner. Biography Berg was born in Stettin (now Szczecin, Poland) in Pomerania, then part of the German Empire. He attended the Technical University in Charlotte ...

Paul Cassirer Paul Cassirer (21 February 1871, in Görlitz – 7 January 1926, in Berlin) was a German art dealer and editor who played a significant role in the promotion of the work of artists of the Berlin Secession and of French Impressionists and Post-Im ...

* Nicolay Diulgheroff *

Hermann Finsterlin Hermann Finsterlin (18 August 1887 – 16 September 1973) was a German visionary architect, painter, poet, essayist, toymaker and composer. He played an influential role in the German expressionist architecture movement of the early 20th century bu ...

Paul Gösch Paul Gösch (30 August 1885 – 22 August 1940), also Goesch or Göschen, was a German artist, architect, lithographer, and designer of the early twentieth century; he was associated with the main elements of German Expressionism. Beginnings G� ...

* Otto Gothe *

Wenzel Hablik Wenzel August Hablik, also known as Wenceslav Hablik and Wilhelm August Hablik (4 August 1881 – 23 March 1934), was a painter, graphic artist, architect, designer, and craftsman of the early twentieth century, associated with German Expressio ...

* Oswald Herzog *

Bernhard Hoetger Bernhard Hoetger (4 May 1874 in Dortmund – 18 July 1949 in Interlaken) was a German sculptor, painter and handicrafts artist of the Expressionist movement. Life Hoetger was the son of a Dortmund blacksmith, he studied sculpture in Detmold from ...

* Willy Jaeckel *

Käthe Kollwitz Käthe Kollwitz ( born as Schmidt; 8 July 1867 – 22 April 1945) was a German artist who worked with painting, printmaking (including etching, lithography and woodcuts) and sculpture. Her most famous art cycles, including ''The Weavers'' and ''T ...

Carl Krayl Carl Christian Krayl (17 April 1890 – 1 April 1947) was a German architect and artist of the early twentieth century, who was associated with several of the leading avant-garde art movements of German Expressionism. Krayl was born in Weinsb ...

Mechtilde Lichnowsky Princess Mechtilde Lichnowsky, originally Mechtilde Christiane Marie ''Gräfin von und zu'' Arco-Zinneberg, later Mechtilde Peto (8 March 1879, in Schloss Schönburg, Pocking now in the Kreis Passau – 4 June 1958, in London) was a German aut ...

* Hans *

Wassili Luckhardt Wassili Luckhardt (22 July 1889 in Berlin – 2 December 1972 in Berlin) was a German architect. He studied at the Technical University of Berlin (Technische Universität Berlin) and Dresden. Luckhardt and his brother Hans worked closely ...

* Paul Mebes *

Julius Meier-Graefe , ro, Reșița), Resicabánya Dist., Krassó-Szörény Co, Bánság, Royal Hungary, Imperial and Royal Austria(now Romania) , death_date = , death_place = Vevey, VD, Switzerland , nationality = German, Hungarian German ...

* Adolf Meyer * Michael Mejer *

Erich Mendelsohn Erich Mendelsohn (21 March 1887 – 15 September 1953) was a German architect, known for his expressionist architecture in the 1920s, as well as for developing a dynamic Functionalism (architecture), functionalism in his projects for department ...

* Johannes Molzahn *

Karl Ernst Osthaus Karl Ernst Osthaus (15 April 1874, in Hagen – 25 March 1921, in Merano) was an important German patron of avant-garde art and architecture. Life Osthaus was born to a wealthy banking family, who also owned several businesses in the textile a ...

Hans Poelzig Hans Poelzig (30 April 1869 – 14 June 1936) was a German architect, painter and set designer. Life Poelzig was born in Berlin in 1869 to Countess Clara Henrietta Maria Poelzig while she was married to George Acland Ames, an Englishman. Uncerta ...

Paul Schmitthenner Paul Schmitthenner (born Lauterburg, Elsass-Lothringen, Germany 15 December 1884 – 11 November 1972) was a German architect, city planner and Professor at the University of Stuttgart. During Nazi Germany, Schmitthenner was one of Adolf Hi ...

Herman Sörgel Herman Sörgel (2 April 1885 – 25 December 1952) was a German architect from Bavaria. He was known for pioneering the Atlantropa project, which was initially conceived as a solution to the economic and political turmoil gripping Europe in the e ...

* Milly Steger *

Heinrich Tessenow Heinrich Tessenow (7 April 1876 – 1 November 1950) was a German architect, professor, and urban planner active in the Weimar era. Biography Tessenow is considered together with Hans Poelzig, Bruno Taut, Peter Behrens, Fritz Höger, Ernst ...

Wilhelm Worringer Wilhelm Robert Worringer (13 January 1881 in Aachen – 29 March 1965 in Munich) was a German art historian known for his theories about abstract art and its relation to avant-garde movements such as German Expressionism. Through his influence on t ...

Actions

The Arbeitsrat recruited the public to participate in its art and architectural exhibitions and publications. Its exhibitions were open for non-architects and also for non-members of the group to take part, with designs, models, sketches and sculptures.

Exhibitions

* "Ausstellung für unbekannte Architekten",(Exhibition for unknown architects ) Berlin und Weimar, 1919 * "Neues Bauen" (New building), Berlin, 1920

Publications

* Bruno Taut: ''Ein Architektur-Programm''. (An architectural programme) Berlin 1918 * Paul Rudolf Henning: ''Ton. Ein Aufruf von P. R. Henning. Zweite Flugschrift des Arbeitsrats für Kunst'' (''Clay/tone/sound. A call by P.R. Henning. Second Pamphlet of the work advice for art '' ). Berlin ca. 1918 * Arbeitsrat für Kunst (Hrsg.): ''Arbeitsrat für Kunst. Flugblatt'' (''Arbeitsrat für Kunst. Leaflet''). Envelope with woodcut by

, Berlin 1919 * Arbeitsrat für Kunst (Hrsg.): ''Ja! Stimmen des Arbeitsrates für Kunst in Berlin'' (Yes! Voices of the Art Society in Berlin). Berlin 1919 * Arbeitsrat für Kunst (Hrsg.): ''Ruf zum Bauen: zweite Buchpublikation des Arbeiterrats für Kunst'' (''Call for building: Second book publication of the Arbeitsrats für Kunst''). Berlin 1920 * Otto Bartning: ''Ein Unterrichtsplan für Architektur und bildende Künste'' (''An instruction plan for architecture and the visual arts'')

Notes

References

* Karl Ernst Osthaus: ''Reden und Schriften. Folkwang – Werkbund – Arbeitsrat''. König, Köln 2002. * Regine Prange: ''Architekturphantasie ohne Architektur? Der Arbeitsrat für Kunst und seine Ausstellungen'', in: Thorsten Scheer, Josef Paul Kleihues, Paul Kahlfeldt (Hrsg.): ''Bauen in Berlin: 1900–2000. Stadt der Architektur. Architektur der Stadt 1900–2000.'' Nicolai, Berlin 2000. * Manfred Schlösser: ''Arbeitsrat für Kunst: Berlin 1918–1921.'' Akademie der Künste, Berlin 1980. * Eberhard Steneberg: ''Arbeitsrat für Kunst. Berlin 1918–1921.'' Marzona, Düsseldorf 1987.

External links

Katrin Husmann: Der Arbeitsrat für Kunst

* This page was translated from the German Wikipedia at:- :de:Arbeitsrat für Kunst. {{DEFAULTSORT:Arbeitsrat fur Kunst Expressionist architecture Architecture groups Culture in Berlin 1910s in Berlin 1920s in Berlin 1918 establishments in Germany 1921 disestablishments in Germany