Exotic Germany
Exotic Germany
January 31, 2019
Royal devotees awaiting the Queen’s parade in London
Stefan Moses, 1962
© Elsa Bechteler-Moses
Stefan Moses (1928–2018) ranked among the leading photographers in the German Federal Republic. At the beginning of the 1960s, his images of members of various vocations – always shot outdoors against a grey fabric backdrop – made him one of the Germany’s most widely recognised portrait photographers. Far fewer people, however, are familiar with his early work: from the 1950s onwards, Moses frequently travelled through Germany as well as other European and overseas countries, shooting reportages for magazines owned by the Munich-based publishing house ‘Kindler’.
In 1960, Moses moved to ‘Stern’ in Hamburg, which went on to become Germany’s leading illustrated magazine – not least due to its extensive photo reportages created by the country’s top photographers. On behalf of ‘Stern’, Moses explored a range of countries including Israel, Chile and Great Britain. However, he continuously returned his attentions to his homeland, which he maintained was equally ‘exotic’: throughout his career, Germany and its inhabitants remained the photographer’s most prominent theme. This showcase combines early reportages and photo essays with excerpts of his most famous portrait series (taken from the museum’s own holdings) in order to retrace the photographer’s creative evolution, and his uniquely astute perception of his fellow men.
For further information visit Deutsches Historisches Museum
Royal devotees awaiting the Queen’s parade in London
Stefan Moses, 1962
© Elsa Bechteler-Moses
Fish Packers
Stefan Moses, 1962, 1964
© Elsa Bechteler-Moses
Beauty Tips
Stefan Moses, undated
© Elsa Bechteler-Moses
Well-heeled visitors at the Bayreuth Festival Stefan Moses, 1961 © Elsa Bechteler-Moses