On June 4, 1944, Rome was liberated by the Allied forces, a decisive turning point in the history of Italy.
The city became a symbol of liberation from the Fascist and National Socialist regimes and quickly developed into a center of cultural rebirth.
Rome, for centuries a place of myths, memories and artistic longings, now itself became the scene of artistic renewal. Between the ruins of the war, new forms of expression emerged in film, in the fine and applied arts, in design and in handicrafts.

Artists not only shaped their present, but also designed a new Italy - with an aesthetic that united resistance, hope and the longing for freedom with newly unleashed creativity, culminating in the myth of la dolce vita.

Dr. Lisa Hockemeyer's lecture explores the question of how an aesthetic of joie de vivre and optimism was formed in the fine arts, film, arts and crafts and through the staging of design icons such as the Vespa scooter, which continues to have an impact today and has a decisive influence on the perception of Italian culture and identity.

Lisa Hockemeyer is a German design and art historian. She teaches design history in Milan.

The event will be streamed live from the Casa di Goethe in Rome and takes place in cooperation with L.I.S.A, the science portal of the Gerda Henkel Foundation.