April 2007
100 Years of German Werkbund
“ From sofa cushions to urban architecture,” members of the German Werkbund have worked to bring an array of high-design, environmentally-conscious products to the public. A group of Munich artists founded the federation with twelve local firms in 1907. After a brief cessation of work during the Nazi period, the Werkbund has continued to craft objects that link traditional crafts with industrial mass-production techniques. Some of the most famous German artists of the 20th century have been members of the group: Peter Behrens, Josef Hoffman, and Richard Riemerschmid, for example. From April 18 to August 26, the New Collection at the Pinakothek der Moderne will showcase 500 of the most important examples of the group’s work in “100 Years of German Werkbund.”
