„Sachlichkeit ist tödlich für das Wesen der Kunst“

Starting with German paintings in 1925, the concept „Neue Sachlichkeit“ quickly spread to different fields of art, and crossed national borders. In the Netherlands, literary debates on „Nieuwe Zakelijkheid“ were characterized by harsh polemics. Literary critics reviewed this concept negatively by questioning its artistic status. These negative judgements not only dominated contemporary debates, but also affected the literary-historical representation of „Nieuwe Zakelijkheid“, which was until the 1990s, based on the positions of only a few contemporary opponents. This study investigates the reasons for these harsh polemics, by taking the judgements not just as a theoretical reflection on poetics, but as a strategic positioning-instrument of the critics in their fight for power and recognition in the Dutch artistic field. Proceeding from the literary-critical discussion, the term „Nieuwe Zakelijkheid“ is analysed in the broader context of artistic debates (e.g. visual arts, architecture) of the interwar period. This interdisciplinary approach enables to highlight correlations between the different artistic debates and promises a more adequate explanation of the negative reception of „Nieuwe Zakelijkheid“.