The "centenary Bauhaus polemics"

The "centenary Bauhaus polemics" refer to the controversy surrounding the cancellation of a concert by the left-wing German punk band Feine Sahne Fischfilet at the Bauhaus Dessau during the lead-up to the design school's 100th anniversary in 2019.

 

The Incident

The Band: Feine Sahne Fischfilet is known for its outspoken anti-fascist, anti-racist, and anti-homophobia political stances and activism in eastern Germany.

The Cancellation: The band was scheduled to perform at the historic Bauhaus Dessau building in November 2018 as part of a televised series for the centenary celebration. The Bauhaus Foundation, however, abruptly canceled the concert after far-right activists and political parties (including the center-right CDU and the nationalist AfD) called for protests.

The Foundation's Stance: The foundation initially stated that it could not host "politically extreme positions, whether from the right, left or other" and wanted to avoid becoming a venue for "political agitation and aggression".

 

The Polemics and Fallout

The decision sparked widespread outrage and a politically charged debate across the art world and German society:

Criticism: Hundreds of prominent artists, curators, and art historians signed an open letter condemning the foundation's decision as "cowardly" and a caving to right-wing pressure. Critics argued that the foundation was drawing a false equivalence between the band's anti-fascist stance and actual right-wing extremism, and that remaining "apolitical" ignored the Bauhaus movement's own history of being persecuted and ultimately closed by the Nazis in 1933.

Echoes of History: The controversy was seen as a reflection of historical events, where the original Bauhaus students were often seen as radical and their activities did not endear them to local conservative populations.

Resolution: The concert was relocated to a larger capacity local beer hall ("Brauhaus instead of Bauhaus") and passed without incident, with profits donated to a local anti-fascist group. The Bauhaus Foundation later regretted its initial statement and pledged to remain an open place for societal debates.