Between Catastrophe and Fascism – German Art between the Wars

This talk by Dr. Leonhard Emmerling, Director of the Goethe-Institut Chicago, will use selected works from the Haggerty’s collection to retell the history of German Art from the Dadaist moment of 1916 through the beginning of the global catastrophe with the usurpation of power by the Nazis in 1933. It is a convoluted story of antagonisms and parallels: The antagonism between Dadaism and Expressionism and the antagonism between Expressionism and the Neue Sachlichkeit (New Objectivity) on one hand; the parallelism of Expressionism and the search for “Germanness” in the arts by the Nazis on the other hand. And we will try to understand the disturbing fact, that some strands of New Objectivity were denounced as “degenerate”, while other strands transitioned into the official style of Nazi art. By recounting this convoluted and complicated story, the talk aims to argue for attention to details and nuances in research and current discourse.

Leonhard Emmerling is an art historian, curator and writer, currently serving as the director of Goethe-Institut Chicago. Leonhard has authored several books, among others on Jackson Pollock and Jean-Michel Basquiat. His recent publications are entitled Idiots. A History of the Homo Nullus (2022) and Aesthetics – what for? (2025).

Supported by Goethe House Wisconsin. In partnership with German Program, Department of Languages, Literatures and Cultures at Marquette University.

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

Haggerty Museum of Art, 1234 W Tory Hill St, Milwaukee, United States