Ludwig Grote and the Bauhaus Idea: The Bauhaus Reception in West Germany

Ambassador for the Bauhaus: on the life and controversial career of Ludwig Grote

German art historian Ludwig Grote (1893-1974) had an almost unparalleled influence on the conception of the Bauhaus, helping to shape an idea of the school that has extended far beyond its historical existence. Drawing on documents from Grote’s archives at the Germanisches Nationalmuseum in Nuremberg, this book is the first comprehensive study of Grote’s activities as an ambassador for the Bauhaus.

From his problematic connections within the Nazi cultural scene and the art trade in Munich from 1939 to 1945 to his influential position in the making of arts policy in postwar West Germany, Grote’s story is as complex and fascinating as that of the Bauhaus itself. Featuring a range of scholarly perspectives and a full biography and bibliography, Ludwig Grote and the Bauhaus Idea presents a nuanced picture of an inspiring and contradictory Bauhaus art historian.