Two UNESCO sites in Dessau, a century apart, share pastel rooms and a progressive vision

A historical intersection in 1927

The Garden Kingdom of Dessau-Wörlitz and the Bauhaus, two UNESCO World Heritage sites, share a small but significant overlap. In 1927, Bauhaus member Hinnerk Scheper arrived at the Garden Kingdom and designed several rooms in the Oranienbaum Palace using pastel colors.

There was a small historical overlap in 1927 between the Garden Kingdom of Dessau-Wörlitz and the Bauhaus.

This episode meant that the Garden Kingdom hosted the later world heritage site, effectively making the Bauhaus a part of its own domain.

A shared drive for progress and accessibility

Beyond the 1927 visit, both institutions shared a common ethos in their respective eras.

In both cases, an attempt was made in their time to be modern and progressive.

Prince Franz, who founded the Garden Kingdom, opened his palaces and parks to the public, brought European art to Saxony-Anhalt, and sought to educate the populace. The Bauhaus, celebrating its 100th anniversary in Dessau this year, similarly aimed to be non-elitist and to design for the broad population.

They also wanted, in part, not to be elitist and to think for the broad population.

Present-day echoes

Today, the connections are being explored in a special exhibition titled "Dialog in Pastell," running at Dessau-Wörlitz until 18 October 2026. A panel discussion with experts is scheduled for Thursday evening, 9 July, at Oranienbaum Palace, delving into the parallels between the two UNESCO sites in the present day.