Part of the Struggle. Art and politics in the Weimar Republic - ACE159.5

Actor Nagel talking about painting in exhibition at the Berlin Academy, 1927, particularly one called Feierabend which the factory owner, Herr Kurtz, wanted to buy – the "pale emaciated exhausted worn-out workers" after a day at his factory – but Nagel would not sell. He comments on unemployment figures. Captions: "1928. Asso." "1929. Blutmai. Bloody May in Berlin." "31 workers killed – 1200 arrested." "Black Friday. Collapse on Wall Street!" "General Election: Nazi Success." Photographs of events in Germany. A hand printing press. Actors as Hans and Lea Grundig looking at sketch. Actor Grundig says they came to realise that "the effect of art on the workers… was more or less nil." Lino cuts calling for workers’ action. Actors Grundig talk about founding Asso, the Association of German Revolutionary Artists. Drawings and paintings, with the Grundigs talking about their Party work. Actor Nagel on police activity at a demonstration on Alexanderplatz which drove people into beer hall where some of his paintings were displayed. Captions: "1931. 5 Million Unemployed. Strikes in the Ruhr, Banks collapse." "1932. 6 Million unemployed." "NSDAP. General Election: Nazi Party wins 38% of seats." Photographs of events. Actor Grosz talking to fellow artists about how they can help to change society. Nazi Brownshirts hover in background. Caption: "1933. Hitler declared Chancellor." Commentary says that, under threat from the SS, Grosz fled to the United States, and 285 of his works were denounced as "degenerate". Caption: " Reichstag Fire. Von Kommunisten in Brand gesteckt! Zerflampft den Kommunismus! Zerschmettert die Sozialdemokratie! Wählt Hitler Liste 1." Commentary says that the German Communist Party was outlawed, and members arrested included Nagel, Griebel, and the Grundigs. Photographs of events. Commentary adds that Heartfield and Herzfelde fled to Prague. Heartfield’s Adolf the Superman: Eats Gold and Spouts Junk / Adolf der Übermensch – Schluckt Gold und redet Blech (1932). Old Motto in the "New" Reich – Blood and Iron (1934); Die drei Weisen aus dem Sorgenland (1935) and others. Dix was dismissed from his post at the Dresden Academy. Heartfield’s Wie im Mittelalter, so im dritten Reich / As in the Middle Ages, so in the Third Reich (1934). Credits. After cast list, commentary talks about the work of these artists being denounced as "degenerate" and exhibited as such, particularly in the Munich exhibition of 1937.