Since Richard Wagner, the term 'Gesamtkunstwerk' refers to the unity of all artistic disciplines. In the context of holistic endeavors in the art of the 19th and 20th centuries, the concept, which is attributed with the potential for societal transformation, occupies a central position. Through numerous examples ranging from the circle of the Anthroposophical Society to the Bauhaus, and from Hermann Nitsch to Joseph Beuys, Alexandra Vinzenz demonstrates that the connection between aesthetics and politics, despite its visionary nature, has not lost its appeal.