Picturing Socialism: Public Art and Design in East Germany

265 Pages·2021·13.83 MB·English

by  J. R. Jenkins

Picturing Socialism
i
ii
Picturing Socialism
Public Art and Design in East Germany
J. R. Jenkins
iii
BLOOMSBURY VISUAL ARTS
Bloomsbury Publishing Plc

50 Bedford Square, London, WC1B 3DP, UK
1385 Broadway, New York, NY 10018, USA
29 Earlsfort Terrace, Dublin 2, Ireland

BLOOMSBURY, BLOOMSBURY VISUAL ARTS and the Diana logo are trademarks of
Bloomsbury Publishing Plc

eBook editions fi rst published in Great Britain 2020
Print edition fi rst published in Great Britain 2021

© J. R. Jenkins, 2021
J. R. Jenkins has asserted their right under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act, 1988,
to be identifi ed as Author of this work.

For legal purposes the Acknowledgements on p. xvi constitute an extension of this
copyright page.

Cover design by J. R. Jenkins
Cover image © Archiv Rolf Walter

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted
in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying,
recording, or any information storage or retrieval system, without prior
permission in writing from the publishers.

The author and publisher gratefully acknowledge the permission granted to reproduce the
copyright material in this book.

Every effort has been made to trace copyright holders of images and to obtain their
permission for the use of copyright material. The publisher apologizes for any errors or
omissions in copyright acknowledgement and would be grateful if notifi ed of any
corrections that should be incorporated in future reprints or editions of this book.

Bloomsbury Publishing Plc does not have any control over, or responsibility for, any
third-party websites referred to or in this book. All internet addresses given in this book
were correct at the time of going to press. The author and publisher regret any
inconvenience caused if addresses have changed or sites have ceased to exist, but can
accept no responsibility for any such changes.

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

A catalog record for this book is available from the Library of Congress.

ISBN: HB: 978-1-3500-6714-1
ePDF: 978-1-3500-6716-5
eBook: 978-1-3500-6715-8

Typeset by Refi neCatch Limited, Bungay, Suffolk

To fi nd out more about our authors and books visit w ww.bloomsbury.com
and sign up for our n ewsletters
iv
Contents
List of Figures vii
List of Plates xi
Preface xiv
Acknowledgements xvi
Glossary and Abbreviations xviii
Introduction
1
Part One Reconstruction, Art and Ornament
(1945 to 1963)
29
1 Modernism, Realism and Muralism – the Struggle for
Art in Post-fascist Germany
31
2 The Synthesis of Art and Architecture During the
Transition to Industrialized Building
47
Part Two Developing a Realist Modernism
(1959 to 1973)
79
3 Reconceptualizing the Place of Art in the System-built
Environment
81
4 New Socialist Landscapes and the Building of
Halle-Neustadt
101
5 Expanding the Remit of Realism in the Public Art
of Halle-Neustadt.
137
v
vi Contents
Part Three From the Monumental to the
Unreal (1973 to 1990)
155
6 A Space of Pure Possibility: The X . Weltfestspiele and
its Impact on Public Art
157
7 ‘Ultimately, Ordinary People Want to Have a Bit of
Kitsch’: How Socialist Realism Looked Unreal
179
Conclusion
201
Select Bibliography 207
List of Interviewees 210
Biographies 212
Index 219
List of Figures
Map of GDR. © J. R. Jenkins. xx
0.1 Detail of Gerhard Bondzin, ‘Der Weg der Roten Fahne’, (Fig 2).
Photograph © J. R. Jenkins 2019. 2
0.2 Kulturpalast (Palace of Culture), Dresden, Wolfgang Hä nsch. Mural:
Gerhard Bondzin, ‘Der Weg der Roten Fahne’, 1969. Photograph
Dresden © SLUB / Deutsche Fotothek / Manfred Thonig. 3
0.3 Haus des Lehrers (House of Teachers), Hermann Henselmann.
Mural: Walter Womacka, 1965. Photograph © SLUB / Deutsche
Fotothek / Andrea Ulbricht. 8
0.4 Detail of Walter Womacka, ‘Unser Leben’ on Haus des Lehrers,
1964. Photograph © J. R. Jenkins 2019. 9
0.5 Suhl, city centre, model, 1969. Photograph Berlin © SLUB /
Deutsche Fotothek / Asmus Steuerlein. 10
1.1 ‘Groß kraftwerk Hirschfelde’, (Hirschfelde Power Plant), Collective
Siegfried Donndorf, Willy Illmer, Fritz Trö ger, Dresden 1949.
Photograph © SLUB / Deutsche Fotothek / LBS. 43
1.2 ‘Feinmechanik Zeiss-Ikon’ (Fine Mechanics Zeiss-Ikon), Collective
Max Erich Nicola and Jü rgen Seidel, Dresden, 1949. Photograph
© SLUB / Deutsche Fotothek / LBS. 43
1.3 First Cultural Conference of the SED, 1948. Photograph Berlin
© SLUB / Deutsche Fotothek / Abraham Pisarek. 44
2.1 Decorative Ceramics. Stalinallee (artist not identifi ed), Section C,
Architect Richard Paulick, 1952. Photograph J. R. Jenkins 2019. 53
2.2 Ornamental painting. As Figure 2.1. 53
2.3 Figures on Stalinallee (artist not identifi ed), Section C, Architect
Richard Paulick, 1952. Photograph © J. R. Jenkins 2019. 54
2.4 Figures on former Grassi Museum and adjacent building, Leipzig.
Photographs © J. R. Jenkins 2013. 54
2.5 Alfred Thiele and Gisela Richter-Thiele, Leipzig, 1955. Photograph
© J. R. Jenkins 2013. 55
2.6 Max Lachnit, ‘Flugwille des Menschens’ (The Human Will to Flight),
Dresden, 1958. Photograph © SLUB / Deutsche Fotothek / Walter
M ö bius. 59
vii
viii List of Figures
2.7 Wolfgang Rauda, G ü ntzpalast , (Güntz Palace), Dresden, 1955.
Photograph © SLUB / Deutsche Fotothek / Walter Mö bius. 60
2.8 Max Lachnit, ‘Lehre und Forschung’ (Teaching and Research),
Dresden, 1956/7. Photograph © J. R. Jenkins 2019. 61
2.9 Magdalene Kreßner, ‘Musizierende Kinder beim Karneval’
(Children Making Music at the Carnival), Dresden, 1955.
Photograph © Antje Kirsch. 62
2.10 Max Lachnit, ‘Wissenschaftler und Kü n stler’ (Scientists and Artists),
Dresden, 1953/5. Photograph © J. R. Jenkins 2019. 63
2.11 As Figure 2.10. 63
2.12 J ü rgen von Woyski, reliefs. Photograph © J. R. Jenkins 2019. 64
2.13 Entrance portal, Berlin, 1955. Architect: Selman Selmanagic.
Reliefs: as Figure 2.12. Frieze: Toni Mau. Photograph
© J. R. Jenkins 2019. 65
2.14 J ü rgen von Woyski, ‘Kinderreigen’ (Children’s Ring-a-Ring of Roses),
Hoyerswerda, 1964. Photograph Hoyerswerda © SLUB / Deutsche
Fotothek / Kurt Heine. 65
2.15 Kurt Heinz Sieger, Hoyerswerda, 1959. © Archiv Kurt Heinz Sieger. 74
2.16 Kurt Heinz Sieger, Eisenhüttenstadt, 1961. © Archiv Kurt
Heinz Sieger. 74
2.17 Karl-Heinz Steinbrü ck and Herbert Morys, Hoyerswerda,
1956. Photograph © J. R. Jenkins 2013. 75
3.1 Karl-Heinz Adler and Friedrich Kracht, Serielles Betonformsteinsystem
(Modular Concrete Form System), 1976. Photograph © SLUB /
Deutsche Fotothek / Reinecke. 92
4.1 Halle-Neustadt, model, 1969. Photograph Berlin © SLUB /
Deutsche Fotothek / Manfred Thonig. 106
4.2 Thematic plan for works of art in the fi rst four Living Complexes
of Halle-Neustadt. Drawing © J. R. Jenkins. 110
4.3 Karl-Heinz Adler and Friedrich Kracht, ‘Zierbrunnen’ (Ornamental
Fountain), Dresden-Neustadt, 1979. Photograph © SLUB /
Deutsche Fotothek/ Hans Reinecke. 114
4.4 Leonie Wirth, ‘Pusteblumen’ (Dandelions), Dresden, 1969.
Photograph © SLUB / Deutsche Fotothek / Richard sen. Peter. 114
4.5 Leonie Wirth, ‘Glasbrunnen’ (Glass Fountain), Dresden, 1975.
Photograph © J. R. Jenkins 2019. 115
4.6 Manfred Vollmert, ‘Brunnenplastik’ (Fountain Sculpture),
Hoyerswerda, 1972. Photograph © J. R. Jenkins 2013. 116
4.7 Willi Neubert, Enamel on steel structure, Halle-Neustadt,
1965/6. Photograph © VG BILD-KUNST, Bonn/Neubert,
Willi / SLUB / Deutsche Fotothek / Henrik Ahlers. 118
List of Figures ix
4.8 Plan for works of art and design in the Living Complexes of
Karl Marx Allee, 1962. Drawing © J. R. Jenkins, based on
VEB Berlin-Projekt ‘Autorenkollektiv Karl Marx Allee’. 123
4.9 Inge G ö tze, ‘Lob der Poesie’ (In Praise of Poetry), Appliqué, 1972.
Photograph © SLUB / Deutsche Fotothek / Waltraud Rabich. 125
4.10 Willi Sitte, ‘Freundschaft’ (Friendship), Production: Ilse-Maria Krause,
1958. © DACS 2020. Photograph © Joachim Blobel 2006 (original in
colour). Custody Sammlung Burg Giebichenstein, Kunsthochschule
Halle. 126
4.11 Martina Stark, ‘Die Biologin’ (The Biologist), 1979. Photograph
© Joachim Blobel 2006 (original in colour). Custody Sammlung
Burg Giebichenstein, Kunsthochschule Halle. 127
4.12 Gerhard Bondzin, ‘Mensch und Natur’ (Man and Nature), Cottbus,
1980. Photograph © J. R. Jenkins 2013. 128
4.13 Gerhard Geyer, ‘Vier Wissenschaftler aus vier Jahrhunderten’
(Four Scientists from Four Centuries), Halle-Neustadt, 1972.
Photograph © SLUB / Deutsche Fotothek / Henrik Ahlers. 129
4.14 Senta Baldamus, ‘Chemieingenieurin’ (Chemistry Engineer), Bronze,
Halle-Neustadt, 1970/3. Photograph © Dagmar Schmidt 1993,
ShareAlike 3.0 Unported (CC BY-SA 3.0) h ttps://creativecommons.
org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/deed.en. 130
4.15 Baldur Sch ö nfelder, ‘Mondstation’ (Moon Station), play apparatus,
Berlin, 1972. © Bundesarchiv, Bild 183-L0805-0006 / Junge, Peter
Heinz / CC-BY-SA 3.0 h ttps://creativecommons.org/licenses/
by-sa/3.0/de/deed.en 130
4.16 Rudolph Grunemann, ‘Chemie und Landwirtschaft’ (Chemistry and
Agriculture), Schwedt/Oder, 1967. Photograph © J. R. Jenkins 2012. 130
4.17 Irmtraud Ohme ‘Chemiebrunnen’ (Chemistry Fountain),
Halle-Neustadt, 1971. Photograph © Jim Cooper. 130
4.18 Walter Womacka, ‘Die Wissenschaft erobern’ (Conquer Science),
Berlin, 1962. Photograph © J. R. Jenkins 2012. 130
4.19 Fritz Eisel, ‘Der Mensch bezwingt den Kosmos’ (Man Conquers the
Cosmos), Potsdam, 1972. Photograph © J. R. Jenkins 2012. 130
4.20 Erich Enge, ‘Kosmonaut’ (Cosmonaut), Schwedt, 1967.
Photograph © J. R. Jenkins 2012. 131
4.21 Erich Enge, ‘Lenin’s Worte wurden Wahr’ (Lenin’s Words Came True),
Halle-Neustadt, 1971. Photograph © J. R. Jenkins 2013. 135
5.1 Joachim Bach and Willi Sitte, Model for Cultural Centre in
Halle-Neustadt, 1967. © Bach. 141
5.2 Willi Sitte, ‘Freiheit der sozialistischen Persö nlichkeit’ (Freedom of the
Socialist Personality), Sketch, 1967. Sketch © DACS 2020. 142