The historical key topic of the Museum is the Deutsche Werkbund (DWB).
As an association of artists, industrialists and political figures founded in 1907, the Werkbund was one of the utopian cultural movements of the early 20th century, and was aimed at promoting modern, functional design in industrial products, architecture and environments.
Quality, sensitivity to materials, objectivity, functionalism and durability were the guiding principles of the movement. The Werkbund’s main purpose, in addition to promoting the modern design and production of objects and ensembles, was aesthetic education as a way to individual self-expression.