What is Dadaism and what does it want in Germany? - Dadaist Revolutionary Central Council

Manifesto written by Richard Huelsenbeck and Raoul Hausmann, first published in 'Der Dada 1' (1919), in the context of the unfolding, German revolution.

Submitted by Craftwork on April 16, 2019

1 Dadaism demands:

1) The international revolutionary union of all creative and intellectual men and women on the basis of radical Communism;
2) The introduction of progressive unemployment through comprehensive mechanization of every field of activity. Only by unemployment does it become possible for the individual to achieve certainty as to the truth of life and finally become accustomed to experience;
3) The immediate expropriation of property (socialization) and the communal feeding of all; further, the erection of cities of light, and gardens which will belong to society as a whole and prepare man for a state of freedom.

2 The Central Council demands:

a) Daily meals at public expense for all creative and intellectual men and women on the Potsdamer Platz (Berlin);
b) Compulsory adherence of all clergymen and teachers to the Dadaist articles of faith;
c) The most brutal struggle against all directions of so-called “workers of the spirit” (Hiller, Adler), against their concealed bourgeoisism, against expressionism and post-classical education as advocated by the Sturm group;
d) The immediate erection of a state art center, elimination of concepts of property in the new art (expressionism); the concept of property is entirely excluded from the super-individual movement of Dadaism which liberates all mankind;
e) Introduction of the simultaneist poem as a Communist state prayer;
f) Requisition of churches for the performance of bruitism, simultaneist and Dadaist poems;
g) Establishment of a Dadaist advisory council for the remodeling of life in every city of over 50,000 inhabitants;
h) Immediate organization of a large scale Dadaist propaganda campaign with 150 circuses for the enlightenment of the proletariat;
i)Submission of all laws and decrees to the Dadaist central council for approval;
j) Immediate regulation of all sexual relations according to the views of international Dadaism through establishment of a Dadaist sexual center.

The Dadaist revolutionary central council.
German group: Hausmann, Huelsenbeck
Business Office: Charlottenburg, Kantstrasse 118.
Applications for membership taken at business office.

Comments

slothjabber

5 years ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by slothjabber on April 17, 2019

It really is an amazing document.

jura

5 years ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by jura on April 17, 2019

Here's a good documentary on Dada:

http://www.ubu.com/film/herbst_dd1.html
http://www.ubu.com/film/herbst_dd2.html

It goes a bit into politics as well.