Image of Gallery in South Kensington
Request to view at the Prints & Drawings Study Room, level C , Case MB3G, Shelf DR1

Workers Citizens Farmers Soldiers All the Peoples of Germany

Poster
1918 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

World War I was followed by a new political order in Germany. The socialist Provisional Government enlisted the Novembergruppe, a group of avant-garde artists, to produce images that would inspire support for the fledgling democracy. Klein's poster asks all the people of Germany to stand together in support of the National Assembly. It was felt that the Novembergruppe's radical expressionist style would resonate with the revolutionary emotion and turmoil of the moment. However many among 'the masses' at whom the posters were aimed could not relate to the unfamiliar visual language and even felt mocked by it.


Object details

Categories
Object type
Titles
  • Workers Citizens Farmers Soldiers All the Peoples of Germany (assigned by artist)
  • Arbeiter, Bürger, Bauern, Soldaten Aller Stämme Deutschlands (assigned by artist)
Materials and techniques
Colour lithograph
Brief description
Cesar Klein German Peoples' unity poster issued by the Provisional Government of Germany, 1918
Physical description
Poster showing a united front of blue collar workers. Some stand in groups of three, while others stand alone on mounded ground. All have their right arms raised in unison. A large crowd of figures occupies the background. The image is primarily rendered in red and yellow. German slogans feature throughout, calling all people together in the national assembly (NATIONALVERSAMMLUNG).
Dimensions
  • Height: 68.2cm
  • Width: 99.9cm
Marks and inscriptions
  • ARBEITER BÜRGER BAUERN SOLDATEN (printed in red block capital letters in arcs across the poster's upper margin)
    Translation
    (from the German) Workers Citizens Farmers Soldiers
  • ALLER STÄMME DEUTSCHLANDS (printed in red block capitals)
    Translation
    (from the German) All the Peoples of Germany
  • VEREINIGT EUCH/ ZUR/ NATIONALVERSAMMLUNG (printed in red block capitals across the poster's lower margin)
    Translation
    National Assembly
Gallery label
At the end of the First World War, Germany became the Weimar Republic. The Socialist provisional government employed avant-garde artists to produce images that would promote the fledgling democracy. Their new expressionist style was meant to resonate with the revolutionary emotion of the moment. However many Germans felt alienated by the unfamiliar visual language and even mocked by it. A World to Win: Posters of Protest and Revolution, V&A, Galleries 88a and 90, (1 May-2 Nov 2014)(01/05/2014-02/11/2014)
Credit line
Gift of the American Friends of the V&A; Gift to the American Friends by Leslie, Judith and Gabri Schreyer and Alice Schreyer Batko
Subjects depicted
Summary
World War I was followed by a new political order in Germany. The socialist Provisional Government enlisted the Novembergruppe, a group of avant-garde artists, to produce images that would inspire support for the fledgling democracy. Klein's poster asks all the people of Germany to stand together in support of the National Assembly. It was felt that the Novembergruppe's radical expressionist style would resonate with the revolutionary emotion and turmoil of the moment. However many among 'the masses' at whom the posters were aimed could not relate to the unfamiliar visual language and even felt mocked by it.
Other number
LS.211 - Leslie Schreyer Loan Number
Collection
Accession number
E.15-2004

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Record createdJune 11, 2004
Record URL
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