The avant-gardes of the early 20th century did not, as claimed, run out of steam or fail. Although the Nazi dictatorship destroyed the avant-garde in Germany, it simultaneously triggered a wave of emigration. Many of the oppressed fled to the USA, where they brought about an avant-gardization of the art world. This enabled subsequent generations to continue the project that had remained unfinished in Europe. Walter Benjamin coined the term "politicization of art" for the efforts of the avant-gardists who resisted an "aestheticization of politics." It is shown from a sociological perspective that this seed took root in the cultural centers of the USA. The impetus of the avant-gardists to change the function of art in society was taken up by artistic movements in California and New York. They contributed.