From Bauhaus to New European Bauhaus: 100 years of shaping Europe’s future

Local and regional leadership driving inclusive, sustainable and place-based transitions.

To mark the 100 years of Bauhaus movement in Dessau, the European Committee of the Regions (CoR), together with the European Commission's Joint Research Centre and the Region of Saxony-Anhalt, in cooperation with the Bauhaus Dessau Foundation, organised a high-level conference on the 15 April, to discuss how the New European Bauhaus (NEB) is translating the Bauhaus legacy into concrete solutions for Europe's clean, digital and social transitions and the key role of cities and regions in delivering place-based solutions.

The event, entitled "100 years of Bauhaus Dessau and the New European Bauhaus: local leadership for just transition", that took place at the CoR, brought together local and regional leaders, members of the European Parliament, high-level representatives of the European Commission, experts and stakeholders from across Europe.

Participants highlighted how the Bauhaus legacy, combining innovation, functionality and social responsibility, shaped modern architecture and urban development and how it continues to inspire the New European Bauhaus (NEB), a key EU initiative that supports the clean and digital transitions by promoting aesthetics, inclusive and sustainable living environments, with people and places at the centre.

Discussions emphasised the key role of local and regional authorities (LRAs) in addressing the clean, digital and social transitions, underlining that cities and regions are at the forefront of shaping living environments, engaging communities and delivering inclusive and sustainable development that leaves no one behind. In the face of current economic, social and environmental challenges, participants underlined that LRAs are essential agents of development that is not only technologically and environmental efficient, but also socially inclusive.

Empowering small municipalities and rural areas and supporting regions facing structural and demographic challenges were identified as key priorities during the debates. Participants stressed that these regions need targeted support if they are to develop transferable solutions. They underlined that EU support is vital for territorial transformation and just transitions across Europe, and that the NEB initiative has already generated lessons that could shape future EU policies and the next EU budget (2028-2034).

The conference featured a keynote speech, high-level panels and contributions from pilot projects. A specific panel, featuring MEP Marcos Ros Sempere (ES/S&D), focused on the pilot project "NEB Boost for Small Municipalities" and how NEB principles can be put into practice.

Quotes

Tanya Hristova (BG/EPP), First Vice-chair of the SEDEC commission and Mayor of Gabrovo: "Bauhaus was never only about design. It was about improving people's lives by bringing together creativity, technology and society. But it also teaches us something fundamental: big ideas need local leadership to become reality. Europe's transformation will only succeed if our cities and regions have the courage to lead change and turn vision into action."

Dr. Jürgen Ude, State Secretary, State Chancellery of Saxony-Anhalt: "The Bauhaus and the New European Bauhaus share one fundamental principle: they embrace change and actively shape it. Structural transformation is not merely an industrial process; it is also a social one. In this context, regional identity serves as a driving force. The New European Bauhaus establishes real-world laboratories in which skilled professionals, designers, and citizens come together to co-create solutions for their local communities."

Dr. Barbara Steiner, Director and CEO of the Bauhaus Dessau Foundation (online participation): "The Bauhaus stands for modernity, for progress, for a belief in future and technology and is closely linked to the industrial-cultural history of Central Germany. At that time the Bauhaus responded to the socio-economic challenges with a joy of experimentation and design experiments. The New European Bauhaus deals with our challenges today and extends socio-economic and aesthetic dimensions to ecological and inclusive ones. Within this frame, the Bauhaus today can help us learn from the failures of Modernity and help us find joy in creating a mindset based on sustainability and circular economy."

Background

• Video and photos from the conference.
• New European Bauhaus Beautiful, Sustainable, Together (CoR opinion, 2022).
• The European Committee of the Regions has been involved in the development of the pilot initiative New European Bauhaus Boost for Small Municipalities Initiative from its inception, helping small municipalities implement NEB projects.
• New European Bauhaus -- from vision to implementation (CoR opinion currently under discussion).
• On 16 December 2025, the European Commission presented its plans for the future of the New European Bauhaus adopted as part of the European Affordable Housing Plan, the Communication "New European Bauhaus: From vision to implementation" and its accompanying proposal for a Council Recommendation setting out the key actions to scale up the initiative and strengthen its role as a driver of the clean transition and innovation in Europe and beyond.

Contact

Ângela Machado

Tel: +32 475413158

[email protected]