Geman Chancellor Merkel opens new Bauhaus museum in Dessau

The eastern German city of Dessau is marking the 100th anniversary of the Bauhaus school of design with a new museum featuring a collection of exhibits and objects that tie in with the movement’s iconic buildings.

Chancellor Angela Merkel opened the Bauhaus Museum Dessau on Sunday, saying the school featured an avant-garde style that “we still really enjoy today.”

In her weekly podcast, Merkel noted: “In Bauhaus not only tradesmen and artists worked closely together, but also many women put a strong stamp on Bauhaus style.”

Bauhaus started work in Weimar in 1919 under architect Walter Gropius but fell afoul of right-leaning local authorities there who slashed funding in 1925.

It then moved to Dessau, where it operated until the city’s Nazi-dominated council forced it to close in 1932.