Bertolt Brecht and Walter Gropius—Cultural Front Figures in Berlin of the Weimar Republic

Abstract

Within the Weimar Republic and its new democratic constitution, an intense cultural activity flourished with Berlin as the intellectual centre. Original ideas or currents of thought were created in this environment, not least within theatre and architecture. This article focuses on the most prominent representatives of these fields, Bertolt Brecht and Walter Gropius, and how they created and realized ideas that have become lasting and still relevant. Their way of working had many similarities—both had a unique ability to inspire and coordinate people with exceptional knowledge and qualities to work with and for them so that their visions could be realized. Their working ethics have been criticized, and it is possible, and even likely, that everyone who contributed to their fame did not receive the credit they deserved. Regardless, Brecht’s and Gropius’s contributions as representatives of innovative theatre and architecture must be respected.