Bauhaus Manifesto 2026 unites culture and church for artistic freedom

A broad alliance of cultural, religious, design and craft organisations in Germany has unveiled the "Bauhaus Manifesto 2026," a public commitment to artistic freedom announced weeks before a decisive state election in Saxony-Anhalt, according to Deutsche Welle.

The manifesto was initiated by Federal Culture Commissioner Wolfram Weimer. "Together we make clear that we want to strengthen the Bauhaus and its principles and defend them against every kind of anti-democratic attack," the independent politician told the German press agency dpa.

A statement of cultural principles

The signatories describe the manifesto as a cultural and political commitment to the values that made the historical Bauhaus school (1919-1933) a lasting global icon: freedom of artistic thought, openness to new ideas, the combination of disciplines and the belief that cultural innovation strengthens democratic society.

Weimer said the Bauhaus "shows the innovative power that emerges when art, craft, design and technology work together. It stands for creativity and exchange, for courage and openness to new ideas."

Who is signing

Signatories include the German Cultural Council, the German UNESCO Commission, the German Bishops' Conference, the Evangelical Church in Germany, the German Association of Cities, the German Museums Association, the Academy of Arts, the Central Association of German Crafts and the German Centre for Lost Cultural Assets.

Founded in 1919 in Weimar by architect Walter Gropius and moved later to Dessau and Berlin, the Bauhaus was forced to close by the Nazis in 1933. Its sites in Weimar, Dessau and Bernau have been on the UNESCO World Heritage list since 1996. Read more culture coverage as the debate over artistic freedom sharpens.