CREATED in 1919, Germany’s Weimar Republic was destroyed by 1933 through its economic ties to the Great Depression in the USA and the rise of Adolf Hitler.

Despite political and social unrest, it was the catalyst for an unprecedented period of artistic and intellectual creativity in the aftermath of the Great War.

Gavin Plumley, an expert on the culture of Central Europe in the 19th and 20th century, who is heard frequently on BBC Radio 3 and 4, explores these cultural experiments for The Arts Society Wensleydale on Tuesday, June 11, at 2pm in the Middleham Key Centre.

Gavin examines the work of artists such as Max Beckman and Otto Dix alongside German Expressionist cinema, the phenomenon of Marlene Dietrich, and the emergence of Modernist styles of music. He also considers the work emanating from the Bauhaus, with its lasting influence on architecture and interior design. His talk coincides with Weimar Berlin: Bittersweet Metropolis, a linked set of events and performances at London’s South Bank Centre, from June to September 2019.

New members will receive a very warm welcome. Visitors pay £8 a lecture, refunded if they join. Contact Ros Higson on 01765 635244 wensleydale@theartssociety.org for more details.