Brücke, die

Group of German expressionist artists (see expressionism) active from 1905 to 1913, originally in Dresden, and later in Berlin. The members chose the name because they wanted to create a bridge to a new, creative future, and their work represented a rebellion against middle-class conventions and an attempt to create art that was in tune with modern life. They formed the first conscious modern movement in German art and were very influential.

Die Brücke was founded by four young architecture students at the Dresden Technical College. The dominant figure was Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, the only one who had received any professional training in painting. The other three were Erich Heckel, Karl Schmidt-Rottluff, and the lesser known Fritz Bleyl. Later they were joined by several other artists, including briefly Emil Nolde, who was a member for 18 months in 1906-07. A few non-German artists who were sympathetic to their aims were invited to exhibit with Die Brücke, and these were regarded as ‘corresponding members’ of the group. There were more than 20 exhibitions of the group's work and they also issued portfolios of prints to subscribers. They took printmaking very seriously and played a central role in reviving the art of woodcut. Their work typically uses bold angular forms and often conveys emotional intensity or anxiety. By 1911 all the German members of the group had moved to Berlin, which was a more vigorous artistic centre than Dresden. Two years later the group broke up because of personal differences. In 1967 a museum devoted to its work opened in Berlin.