Rising from the Rubble

On September 19, 2020, from 14.00 to 21.00, visitors are invited to the opening reception of ‘Makeshift Home’, featuring photographs by Enver Hirsch and Philipp Meuser. The showcase will be on display at Hamburg’s Freelens Gallery until December 17, 2020.

During and shortly after World War II, thousands of emergency homes were constructed in the devastated city of Hamburg – particularly on communal allotments, which had been largely spared in the strategic bombing raids of the Allied Forces. The very basic homes were constructed in the manner of the standardised housing of the Third Reich – using the most low-cost materials, or even rubble and debris. Since then, the majority of these buildings have undergone continuous structural changes. The original occupants were granted a lifelong right of residence for themselves and their descendants. However, in light of the ever-growing shortage of urban housing, these dwellings are no longer seen as viable, and their time is slowly coming to an end.

Hamburg-based photographers Enver Hirsch and Philipp Meuser set out to document the last examples of these makeshift homes, detailing their characteristic architecture and materials. Their project represents a final chance to record this particular aspect of Germany’s post-war history: a provisional solution, whose remnants have survived to this day.

For further details visit Freelens Gallery, Enver Hirsch and Philipp Meuser