February 5, 1918

Early life.

            On account of my recent activities and my newfound passion in the Dada arts, I have decided to keep this online journal. It is open to all who wish to have insight to my world, my art, and my thoughts.

Me! 1920s. My ID card for the Ullstein Press

I was born Anna Therese Johanne Hoch of Gotha on November 1, 1889. I am now called Hannah Hoch for short. Gotha is a small town located in the core of Germany and is surrounded by bustling cities. Early in my life, I lived with my father who guided my way to education in the arts. He was a manager for an insurance company while my mother remained as an amateur painter. In 1912, I made my way to Berlin where I studied at the College of Arts and Crafts. Here, I remained for the next two years. Instead of studying my passion for the fine arts, I attended the study of glass design and graphic arts to satisfy the wishes of my father. Although I could not pursue my infatuation for the fine arts, I did very much enjoy my stay in Berlin.  It is an amazing and glorious place to reside, where every aspect is incorporated into the fine arts. The buildings are monumental and the art museums add to the beautiful scenery.

At the start of World War I, I left college to join the Red Cross. My intentions were not clear, even to myself, but I felt an urge to be an active woman during the crisis. The Red Cross organization was a totally new experience and surrounding. I was pleased to aid the prisoners but it was torture to see them suffer. Many were left wounded, with little hope of survival or ever returning to their loved ones. Our job was to protect to human life by aiding the wounded soldiers, provide hope, and guide them back to their homes. Although the horrors of war and despair remain in my mind, it was still an experience unlike no other. I became a part of something big and as a woman, the feeling was immense. I was bound to show society that women can achieve the same goals as men; we are all equal. In the Red Cross, there was no discrimination to who could join. This new fervor of women’s rights struck me as I left the Red Cross in 1915 to return to my studies.

With only a short time spent in the organization of the Red Cross, I was quickly back to schooling in the National Institute of the Museum of Arts and Crafts, where I enrolled into the graphics class. It was difficult to transition from a war environment to school, but I had eventually adjusted. After I graduated, I earned a job in the Ullstein Verlang or the Ullstein Press, where I designed dresses and embellished patterns for Die Dame and Die Praktische Berlinerin; the Lady and The Practical Berlin Woman. In this same year of 1915, I encountered a man by the name of Raoul Hausmann. He was born in Vienna, Austria and moved to Berlin to grow up as an artist. I developed a close friendship with him and he became a strong influence to my early years as an artist. Raoul was into a new movement of art called Dadaism. He acquired a position as a member of the Berlin Dada movement and impacted my decision on joining this group.

The term Dadaism is still quite new to me and even now, in 1918, I have much to learn about the Dada movement.


H.H.