Every famed design movement has an interesting story of how it managed to influence architecture and design through the years. Despite their impact, not all movements began with the same principles they managed to ultimately lead with, and Bauhaus is no exception. The clean-cut modernist archetype, which has pioneered modern architecture for a century now, was once an experimental design institution of expressionism, unbound creativity, and handcraft, bridging the styles of Art Nouveau and Arts and Crafts with Modernist designs. Before Weimar was associated with Bauhaus, it housed the Grand Ducal Saxon Academy of Arts and Crafts, a distinct movement founded by designer Henry van de Velde. The Belgian-native was forced to go back to his hometown after the outbreak of World War I, but made sure to leave a personally-recommended successor after him, appointing none other than Walter Gropius. Gropius had his fair share of experience, having acquired design knowledge from the Deutscher Werkbund and Peter Behrens’ firm, along with appalling battle memories of the Western Front. Accordingly, his initial approach to design was a community-based renewal of society and humanity.
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