The 20th century's most influential art and architecture school had a major impact on the global perception of architecture and design. Renowned artists such as Paul Klee, Wassily Kandinsky and Oskar Schlemmer taught at the school and lived in the master houses.

The 20th century's defining school of creative thought
The influence of Classical Modernism, Germany's best-known art and design movement, can still be felt today. A number of everyday household items were first conceived at Bauhaus. Founded by Walter Gropius in Weimar in 1919, the design school moved to its new location in Dessau in 1925, when the master houses were also built. The artists Paul Klee, Lyonel Feininger, Wassily Kandinsky, Oskar Schlemmer and László Moholy-Nagy lived and worked in these studio homes. Bauhaus and the master houses have been included in the UNESCO World Heritage list.

The region between Dessau and Wörlitz boasts an array of culturally important historical attractions and locations where momentous theories and philosophies arose. In the natural history museum, the world of plants and animals found in the Elbe biosphere reserve is recreated in large life-like dioramas. The political history museum meanwhile, chronicles the development of the legal system and policing in the region, while Mosigkau Palace and Park is one of the few preserved rococo palaces in eastern Germany.

The Anhalt-Wittenberg region was the focal point of the Reformation, as well as being home to many innovative artists and thinkers. In Dessau, the Bauhaus art school and the Bauhaus master houses have been designated as a site of world cultural heritage by UNESCO. There is also a long-established theatre tradition in the town, while Wörlitz Palace, with its constantly changing exhibitions, is a magnet for visitors.