Before the Bauhaus

Before The Bauhaus Reevaluates The Political Architectural And Artistic Cultures Of Pre-World War I Germany. As Contradictory And Conflict-Ridden As The German Second Reich Itself The World Of Architects Craftsmen And Applied-Arts Artists Were Not Immune To The Expansionist Imperialist And Capitalist Struggles That Transformed Germany In The Quarter-Century Leading Up To The First World War. In This Study John Maciuika Brings Together Architectural And Design History Political History Social And Cultural Geography. He Substantially Revises Our Understanding Of The Roots Of The Bauhaus And By Extension The Historical Roots Of Twentieth-Century German Architecture And Design. His Book Sheds New Light On Hotly Contested Debates Pertaining To The History Of Germany In The Pre-World War I Era Notably The Issues Surrounding Modernity And Anti-Modernity In Wilhelmine Germany The Character And Effectiveness Of The Government Administration And The Role Played By The NationS Most Important Architects Members Of The Rising Bourgeois Class In Challenging The Traditional Aristocracy At The Top Of The New German Economic And Social Order.