The Founders Of The Werkbund (twenty-four Pioneers Of The Modern Movement)

By (author) Harrod, W. Owen
Description:

This book is the first, in any language, to provide a comprehensive study of the founders of the German Werkbund: the twelve artists and twelve firms represented at the establishment of the organization in 1907. Although these twenty-four were not always in agreement, they were committed to a common cause: strongly influenced by the Arts and Crafts movement, their aim was to inspire good design and craftsmanship in mass-produced goods and architecture. Together they put forward a dialogue about the nature of German culture, both visual and intellectual, and about the character of German design. They were representatives of the regional centers of Germanic culture – in the cities of Berlin, Munich, Dresden, Stuttgart, Karlsruhe, Darmstadt, Weimar, and Vienna – and of craft-based industries throughout Central Europe. The twenty-four reflected the distribution of their common, German-speaking, socio-economic identities: they were a microcosm of the society they hoped to reform. In shedding light on these highly influential individuals, who were the forerunners of the Modern Movement, the Bauhaus, and the International Style, this book provides a new understanding of how the Werkbund functioned, how it pursued its aims, and how it achieved such a profound and enduring legacy.

Table of contents:
1. Twelve Artists and Twelve Firms; 2. Circa 1800; 3. Children of the Revolution; 4. The German Question; 5. The Long Depression; 6. Journeyman Years; 7. Radiant Munich and the New Vienna; 8. Banded Workshops; 9. Printed Matter; 10. Darmstadt and the Jugendstil; 11. The Professors; 12. The Third German Applied Arts Exhibition and the Foundation of the Werkbund; 13. The German House; 14. The German Garden City Movement; 15. Quality and Commerce; 16. Cultural Publishing; 17. Proper Integration of the Machine; 18. The Desire for German Form; 19. Harmonious Culture; 20. The Werkbund in Austria; 21. Becoming Superfluous; 22. The Cologne Exhibition; 23. The Empire Dissolves in Mist; 24. The Legacy of the Founders; Bibliography; Index
Biographical note:

Architect and writer W. Owen Harrod is an Associate at MWM DesignGroup in Austin, Texas. He has a PhD from The University of Texas at Austin on The Life and Work of Werkbund founder Bruno Paul.

Endorsement:
‘W. Owen Harrod''s groundbreaking book offers the first comprehensive view of the founding designers and firms of the Werkbund, situating this key Modernist organization in the wider political, social, cultural, and economic matrix of the German-speaking world of those years. It is a brilliant contribution, not only broadening our understanding of how the Werkbund came about, but also its deeper meanings.’ – Christopher Long, Martin S. Kermacy Centennial Professor, School of Architecture, The University of Texas at Austin