René Burri – The Germans

• René Burri: Kaiser-Wilhelm-Gedächtniskirche bombed during the war and never restored. West Berlin, Germany, 1959 © René Burri/Magnum Photos
• René Burri: Rhénanie-Palatinat state. Town of Rheinpfalz, Germany, 1959 © René Burri/Magnum Photos
• René Burri: The "Goldener Engel" (Golden Angel) was once an inn. La Sarre. Baumholder. Germany, 1959 © René Burri/Magnum Photos
• René Burri: West Berlin. Lunapark, Germany, 1959 © Rene Burri/Magnum Photos

From 1959 to 1961, René Burri set out to document post-war Germany – his Swiss passport granting him access to both the Western and the Eastern territory of the divided country. In 1962 the resulting images were published in the form of a photo book, titled Die Deutschen – The Germans. While Burri (1933–2004) had much in common with the country’s inhabitants (including a language) he was also able to view them from the vantage point of an outsider.

“At this time, Germany was simply the place where certain post-war divisions had manifested in a very dramatic manner. That’s what prompted me to create a book that was not about France or Italy, or a subject that was more pleasant, but to visit the place where certain contrasts were colliding.” (René Burri, Leica-World, 1997)

Excerpts from René Burri’s famous series are on show at the Folia Gallery in Paris from 13 May to 25 July 2020.

For further information visit Galerie Folia