The Association of Revolutionary Visual Artists of Germany (German: ''Assoziation revolutionärer bildender Künstler Deutschlands'', or ARBKD) was an organization of artists who were members of the

Communist Party of Germany The Communist Party of Germany (german: Kommunistische Partei Deutschlands, , KPD ) was a major political party in the Weimar Republic between 1918 and 1933, an underground resistance movement in Nazi Germany, and a minor party in West German ...

(''Kommunistische Partei Deutschlands'', or KPD). Known primarily by its shortened name, "Asso", it was founded in March 1928. The organization produced posters, placards,

propaganda Propaganda is communication that is primarily used to influence or persuade an audience to further an agenda, which may not be objective and may be selectively presenting facts to encourage a particular synthesis or perception, or using loaded ...

graphics for Communist organizations.

History

The ''

Rote Fahne ''Die Rote Fahne'' (, ''The Red Flag'') was a German newspaper originally founded in 1876 by Socialist Worker's party leader Wilhelm Hasselmann, and which has been since published on and off, at times underground, by German Socialists and Communis ...

'' reported on June 19, 1928, that the Asso had been founded as a "brother organization" to the Association of Revolutionary Artists of Russia."1918-1933: Assoziation Revolutionärer Bildender Künstler Deutschlands"

Deutsches Historisches Museum The German Historical Museum (german: Deutsches Historisches Museum), known by the acronym DHM, is a museum in Berlin, Germany devoted to German history. It describes itself as a place of "enlightenment and understanding of the shared history o ...

. Retrieved January 24, 2012 In spring 1931, the name was changed from "Assoziation" to "Bund" ("Federation"). Left-wing artists had already formed groups, such as the November Group,

Dada Dada () or Dadaism was an art movement of the European avant-garde in the early 20th century, with early centres in Zürich, Switzerland, at the Cabaret Voltaire (Zurich), Cabaret Voltaire (in 1916). New York Dada began c. 1915, and after 192 ...

ist groups, or from 1924 to 1926, the Red Group, with which

George Grosz George Grosz (; born Georg Ehrenfried Groß; July 26, 1893 – July 6, 1959) was a German artist known especially for his caricatural drawings and paintings of Berlin life in the 1920s. He was a prominent member of the Berlin Dada and New Objec ...

John Heartfield John Heartfield (born Helmut Herzfeld; 19 June 1891 – 26 April 1968) was a 20th century German visual artist who pioneered the use of art as a political weapon. Some of his most famous photomontages were anti-Nazi and anti-fascist statements ...

and

Rudolf Schlichter Rudolf Schlichter (or Rudolph Schlichter) (December 6, 1890 – May 3, 1955) was a German painter and one of the most important representatives of the ''Neue Sachlichkeit'' (New Objectivity) movement. Schlichter was born in Calw, Württemberg. Af ...

were involved.

Heinrich Vogeler Heinrich Vogeler (December 12, 1872 – June 14, 1942) was a German painter, designer, and architect, associated with the Düsseldorf school of painting. Early life He was born in Bremen, and studied at the Kunstakademie Düsseldorf from 1 ...

had also formed the ''Arbeitsgemeinschaft kommunistischer Künstler'' ("Working Group of Communist Artists"). Further impetus to form a larger organization came from the "Central

Atelier An atelier () is the private workshop or studio of a professional artist in the fine or decorative arts or an architect, where a principal master and a number of assistants, students, and apprentices can work together producing fine art or v ...

for Visual Propaganda", an arm of the KPD offices at the

Karl-Liebknecht-Haus The Karl-Liebknecht-Haus or ''Karl Liebknecht House'' is the headquarters of the party '' The Left'' in Germany. It is located between the Alexanderplatz and Rosa-Luxemburg-Platz in Berlin-Mitte. Constructed in 1912 as a factory, the building w ...

in Berlin. Several groups joined the Asso. Gregor Gog's artists group, the Brotherhood of Vagabonds ("Bruderschaft der Vagabunden") joined the Asso in 1931. In 1932, Oskar Nerlinger's group, "The Moderns" ("Die Zeitgemäßen"), previously called "The Abstracts", joined as well. The Asso also embraced

Franz Wilhelm Seiwert Franz Wilhelm Seiwert (March 9, 1894 – July 3, 1933) was a German painter and sculptor in a constructivist style. He was also politically active as a communist making significant contributions, both graphic and theoretical to ''Die Aktion' ...

's group of progressive artists, the

Cologne Progressives The Cologne Progressives was an art movement and were an informal group of artists based in the Cologne and Düsseldorf area of Germany. They came together following the First World War and participated in the radical workers' movement. History ...

, and the "Collective for Socialist Building". The Asso published a journal called ''Der Stoßtrupp'' and its first exhibition was in Berlin in 1929. For many Communist artists, art was a "weapon" to be used rallying the masses to the

class struggle Class conflict, also referred to as class struggle and class warfare, is the political tension and economic antagonism that exists in society because of socio-economic competition among the social classes or between rich and poor. The forms ...

. Accordingly, the Asso produced placards, posters, propaganda art and banners for the Communist Party,

Rote Hilfe The Rote Hilfe ("Red Aid") was the German affiliate of the International Red Aid. The Rote Hilfe was affiliated with the Communist Party of Germany and existed between 1924 and 1936. Its purpose was to provide help to those Communists who had bee ...

and other organizations. The 1932 logo of

Antifaschistische Aktion ''Antifaschistische Aktion'' () was a militant anti-fascist organisation in the Weimar Republic started by members of the Communist Party of Germany (KPD) that existed from 1932 to 1933. It was primarily active as a KPD campaign during the ...

was designed by and for the Asso and since the 1980s has been widely used in modified form in Germany and globally by Antifa groups. The organization, with 800 members, was banned after the Nazis seized power in 1933.

Notable members

Karl von Appen Karl von Appen (12 May 1900, Düsseldorf - 22 August 1981, Berlin) was a German stage designer and member of the Association of Revolutionary Visual Artists. Theatre * 1954: ''The Caucasian Chalk Circle'' by Bertolt Brecht; directed by Brecht at ...

, 1932 * , 1929 * , 1928 (Berlin) *

Rudolf Bergander Rudolf Bergander (22 May 1909, Meißen — 10 April 1970, Dresden) was a German painter and principal of the Dresden Academy of Fine Arts from 1952 to 1958 and 1964–65. He was a member of the Association of Revolutionary Visual Artists. Life B ...

, 1930 (Dresden) * , Brotherhood of Vagabonds * Erich Arnold Bischof * , 1929? (Dresden) * * , 1928 (Berlin) * 1931 (Berlin) * (Leipzig) * 1929 (Berlin) The Abstracts * * 1928 (Berlin) Karl-Liebknecht-Haus * , Brotherhood of Vagabonds *

Otto Griebel Otto Griebel (31 March 1895 – 7 March 1972) was a German painter. In 1933, he was arrested by the Gestapo and his paintings were branded as degenerate art. His painting "Child at a Table" was one of the artworks found in the 2012 Munich ar ...

, 1929 (Dresden) *

(Berlin) *

Lea Lea or LEA may refer to: Places Australia * Lea River, Tasmania, Australia * Lake Lea, Tasmania, from which the Lea River flows * RAAF Base Learmonth, IATA airport code "LEA" England * Lea, Cheshire, a civil parish * Lea, Derbyshire, a set ...

and

Hans Grundig Hans Grundig (February 19, 1901 – September 11, 1958) was a German painter and graphic artist associated with the New Objectivity movement. He was born in Dresden and, after an apprenticeship as an interior decorator, studied in 1920–1921 ...

, 1929 * (Dresden) *

Eugen Hoffmann Eugen Hoffmann, born in Dresden on 1892, a sculptor, trained in 1919 with Karl Albiker at the Dresden Academy of Fine Arts The Dresden Academy of Fine Arts (German ''Hochschule für Bildende Künste Dresden''), often abbreviated HfBK Dresden or ...

1929 (Dresden) * 1930 (Dresden) *

Heinz Kiwitz Heinz Kiwitz (September 4, 1910 – 1938) was a German artist. His woodcuts were in the German Expressionism, German Expressionist style. An anti-fascist, he was arrested following the Nazis' seizure of power. He survived imprisonment in Kemna con ...

(Duisburg)Biografie: 1927–1931
Heinz Kiwitz website. Click on list at left of frame, "Vita: Biografie" Retrieved February 11, 2012 *

Wilhelm Lachnit Wilhelm Lachnit (12 November 1899, , near Dresden — 14 November 1962, Dresden) was a German painter who was primarily active in Dresden. Life Lachnit was born in the small town of Gittersee; his family moved to Dresden in 1906. He studied at t ...

1929 (Dresden) * (Düsseldorf) *

Julo Levin Julo Levin, originally Julius (5 September 1901, Stettin - 1943, KZ Auschwitz) was a German Expressionist painter of Jewish ancestry. Most of his surviving works are watercolors and sketches, however his family have some of his paintings. He was ...

(Düsseldorf) * (Dresden) *

Peter Ludwigs Peter Ludwigs (16 February 1888, Aachen – 3 July 1943, Düsseldorf) was a German sculptor and Expressionist painter. He is primarily known for his later, Anti-fascist paintings. Biography He was born into an old family of manufacturers. Init ...

(Düsseldorf) * (Leipzig) * Alice Lex-Nerlinger and

Oskar Nerlinger Oskar Nerlinger (23 March 1893 – 25 August 1969) was a German painter. His work was part of the Art competitions at the 1932 Summer Olympics#Painting, painting event in the Art competitions at the 1932 Summer Olympics, art competition at t ...

1928 (Berlin) *

Otto Nagel Otto Nagel (27 September 1894 – 12 July 1967) was a German painter, graphic designer and long-time head of the Berlin Academy of Arts who was one of the most prolific artists of East Germany. Life Born at Berlin-Wedding, Nagel was the son ...

1928, co-founder (Berlin) *

Laszlo Peri Peter Laszlo Peri (born László Weisz; 13 June 1899 – 19 January 1967) was an artist and sculptor. Name changes László Weisz was born on 13 June 1899 in Budapest, Hungary. His family Magyarized their family name to "''Péri''". When he mo ...

1928 *

Curt Querner Curt Querner (1904–1976) was a German painter. Biography Querner was born in Börnchen, a village in Saxony not far south of Dresden (later incorporated into Possendorf, which today is part of Bannewitz).Herbert Sandberg Herbert Sandberg (April 18, 1908 – March 18, 1991) was a German artist and caricaturist. He was best known for his caricatures in the satirical magazine, ''Ulenspiegel'', which he co-founded and art directed. He is also well known for his drawin ...

1929 (Berlin) * 1930? (Dresden) * Eva Schulze-Knabe 1929 (Dresden) * 1929 (Dresden) * (Düsseldorf) * 1930 (Dresden)

Sources

* ''Meyers Großes Taschenlexikon, in 24 Bd.'' Bd 2. BI-Taschenbuch, Mannheim/Vienna/Zurich (1987) * ''Meyers Kleines Lexikon, in 3 Bd.'' Vol. 1, Leipzig (1967, 1971)

References

{{Authority control Communist organisations in Germany