Architects, Nazis, and goths: Why were Bauhaus called Bauhaus?
A new musical age was dawning during the mid-1970s, one which did away with the complacency and self-congratulation of mainstream rock and pop, instead prioritising grassroots and DIY expression. This punk rock revolution paved the way for countless young, innovative groups to make their mark on the music industry, all the more so when the post-punk generation came around, taking the attitude of punk into expansive musical avenues.
One of the most prominent groups to establish themselves during this post-punk explosion was Bauhaus–the greatest thing to come out of Northampton since Dr Martens boots.
Ushering in the golden age of goth rock, Bauhaus unleashed their debut single in 1979: ‘Bela Lugosi’s Dead’. As the title suggests, the single is centred around the beloved Hungarian actor, who most famously played the role of Count Dracula, and those dark, horror-infused influences were certainly present within the music too. Nobody created harrowing gothic soundscapes quite like Bauhaus, but they were equally at home creating high-energy punk rock, or even covering glam rock anthems like ‘Telegram Sam’ or ‘Ziggy Stardust’.
Bauhaus were always a pretty enigmatic outfit, darting from one style to another and creating sounds that were worlds apart from the rest of the post-punk scene of the late 1970s and early 1980s. Throughout their initial tenure, which lasted up until 1983, the goth progenitors were largely in a league of their own, working on innovative and often ethereal compositions which spoke to a dedicated cult following. In that sense, the band lived up to the high standards of their namesake.
The art school roots behind the band’s bold identity
Originally, the Peter Murphy-led outfit operated under the name Bauhaus 1919, referencing the opening year of the Staatliches Bauhaus art school, which blossomed in Weimar-era Germany. A revolutionary school of design which prioritised usability and principles of mass production with sleek, modern, and colourful design ideas, the school was far ahead of its time during those early years.
It was the pioneering architect Walter Gropius who first founded Bauhaus in the wake of the First World War, but the school along with its artistic principles soon spread across the Weimar Republic. After all, Germany was experiencing a cultural renaissance at that time, signified by boundary-pushing art, music, theatre, and literature, and Bauhaus was consistently at the forefront of this new way of thinking. Soon, the school had impacted everything from architecture to typography, but the golden age of Bauhaus wouldn’t last forever.
Despite the trailblazing, modern style of Bauhaus’ artistic vision, the school and its principles were seen as a threat to the ultra-nationalist Nazi regime when it began to take control of Germany during the early 1930s. Portrayed as a stronghold of communist ideals by the Nazi regime, the art school ceased operations in 1933 amid growing pressure from the increasingly authoritarian government. Nevertheless, the Bauhaus style and approach to design remain incredibly influential even in the 21st century.
Still, the question remains of why a post-punk band from Northampton would opt to name themselves after a German art school from the 1920s. It is worth remembering that the members of Bauhaus were only in their early 20s when the band first got together, so there is probably no hugely profound reason behind their name choice. It could be as simple as Bauhaus being a cool sounding word, with enough cool looking art and design to back it up.
What’s more, there seemed to be a trend in the post-punk scene for groups to name themselves after something with connotations to the Nazi regime – a notable example being Joy Division. Perhaps a hangover from the early days of punk rock, during which punks would often don swastika armbands, these naming conventions didn’t reflect the political ideologies of the groups themselves, and were more of an attempt to shock older generations.
According to Bauhaus bassist David J, the decision to name the group was made because of the school’s “stylistic implications and associations”. There are certainly parallels between the two; just as the Bauhaus movement pushed the boundaries of art and design in the 1920s, Bauhaus the band pushed the boundaries of rock music in the 1970s. So, when you next see somebody in the street wearing a Bauhaus shirt, do not mistake them for a goth straight away; they might just be a hardcore fan of revolutionary Weimar-era architecture.
