Bauhaus Opening of the Centennial Exhibitions — To the Substance
Opening ceremony of the five jubilee exhibitions for 100 Years Bauhaus Dessau
2026
About Bauhaus 100 — To the Substance
Bauhaus 100 — To the Substance — edition 2026
The opening on March 28, 2026, marks the conceptual and symbolic start of the jubilee year. Five new exhibitions open simultaneously at five original Bauhaus sites in Dessau – each dedicated to a central Bauhaus material (glass, concrete, metal, brick, steel, wood, membrane, slats) and its contemporary reinterpretation. Additionally, the foundation presents a textile installation «Flagship» at the Studio Building throughout the opening weekend.
The program, from day into night – ceremonial opening in the morning, curatorial tours in the afternoon, panel discussions with international voices, and the Metallic Dance Club as the evening event – demonstrates how the foundation understands the Bauhaus concept in the 21st century: not just design history, but active contemporary practice.
Highlights Bauhaus 100 — To the Substance 2026
Programme Bauhaus 100 — To the Substance 2026
Saturday, March 28, 2026 — Grand Opening Day
- 11:00 AM — Ceremonial Opening in the Bauhaus Building with greetings and musical accompaniment
- 1:00 PM — Opening tours of «Glass | Concrete | Metal» (Bauhaus Building)
- 2:00 PM — Tour of «Algae | Rubble | CO₂» (former Zeeck Department Store)
- 3:00 PM — Panel discussions with architects, designers, and scientists
- 4:00 PM — Tour of «Brick | Shed | Electricity» (historic Employment Office by Gropius)
- 5:00 PM — Tours of «Sheet Metal | Membrane | Porthole» (Steel House) and «Slats | Purlin | Node» (Junkers Slats House)
- 6:00 PM–1:00 AM — Metallic Dance Club at Anhalt University of Applied Sciences with installations, performances, and DJ sets
Sunday, March 29, 2026 — Second Opening Day
- All day — Exhibitions open, further tours, «Flagship» textile installation at the Studio Building
Detailed program and tickets at bauhaus-dessau.de.
Prices Bauhaus 100 — To the Substance 2026
Practical information — Bauhaus 100 — To the Substance
Getting There
By train to Dessau Hauptbahnhof (main station), then a 10–15 minute walk to the Bauhaus building or take tram/bus line 1/3. By car, take the A9 (exit Dessau-Süd) or A14. Parking is available at Gropiusallee and at the Bauhaus Museum by the city park.
Admission & Times
Opening day Saturday, March 28, 2026, from 11 a.m. Metallic Dance Club at Anhalt University of Applied Sciences from 6 p.m. to 1 a.m. (Sunday, March 29). Admission and registration details via the Bauhaus Dessau Foundation – find more information at bauhaus-dessau.de.
Families & Dogs
Family-friendly during the day; curatorial tours are mostly geared towards adults. Dogs are not allowed in the exhibition spaces.
Further Information
Program partners include Anhalt University of Applied Sciences, Bauhaus Museum Dessau, Anhaltisches Theater Dessau, and municipal partners. Travel information and accompanying program details are available at visitdessau.com.
100 Years of Bauhaus in Dessau
In 1925, the Bauhaus moved from Weimar to Dessau. In 1926, Walter Gropius's iconic Bauhaus building was opened – today a UNESCO World Heritage site and a symbol of classical modernism. In 2026, the Bauhaus Dessau Foundation celebrates the 100th anniversary of this move and the architecture, with a program titled «To the Substance. Bauhaus Dessau 100». The central exhibitions will launch on Saturday, March 28, 2026 – more of a festive opening than a mere vernissage.
Five Exhibitions at Five Original Locations
The curatorial approach distributes the jubilee theme across the city – each exhibition links Bauhaus material with a central location of Bauhaus history:
- «Glass | Concrete | Metal» in the Bauhaus building — the main exhibition in the workshop wing (until January 10, 2027)
- «Algae | Rubble | CO₂» in the former Zeeck department store (until September 27, 2026) — alternative and future building materials
- «Brick | Shed | Electricity» in the historic employment office (Walter Gropius)
- «Sheet Metal | Membrane | Porthole» in the Steel House
- «Slats | Purlin | Node» in the Junkers Slats House
The Opening Program
It begins at 11 a.m. in the Bauhaus building with greetings from the foundation's management and musical accompaniment. This will be followed by curatorial tours of the five exhibitions and panel discussions with architects, designers, and scientists. In the evening, from 6 p.m. to 1 a.m., the Metallic Dance Club will take place at Anhalt University of Applied Sciences – featuring installations, performances, and DJ sets, a deliberately boundary-pushing interpretation of the Bauhaus festive spirit for the present day.
Dessau-Roßlau in Saxony-Anhalt
Dessau-Roßlau is an independent city in the German state of Saxony-Anhalt, located between the Mulde, Elbe, and Wörlitz Garden Realm. Together with the Bauhaus Museum Dessau and the nearby UNESCO World Heritage site «Dessau-Wörlitz Garden Realm», the Bauhaus buildings form one of the richest cultural landscapes in Central Germany. The 2026 jubilee is not just a city and foundation event – it is the major cultural event of the year for the entire district/region of Anhalt-Bitterfeld / Wittenberg and for Saxony-Anhalt as a whole.
Where it takes place Bauhaus 100 — To the Substance
Bauhaus 100 — To the Substance at a glance
History of Bauhaus 100 — To the Substance
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