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Last Shift
Last Shift
November 17, 2025
Illuminated coal storage area and outdoor facilities of the Potsdam power station
The exhibition focuses on three decommissioned fossil fuel power plants in Germany’s Brandenburg region – specifically in Potsdam-Nord, Brieskow-Finkenheerd, and Eisenhüttenstadt.
Peter Hamel (b. 1955) visited these sites right before and immediately after they were closed down. His images document the working environment in the power plants, their machinery and architectural details. Through the interplay of light and shadow, he captured the emptiness of spaces that were once characterised by the sweat and grime of hard physical labour.
In the early 1990s, eastern Germany’s industry was undergoing a profound transformation: factory closures, abandoned sites and demolitions shaped the everyday life of the working class. Today, this type of industrial culture has all but disappeared as all three power stations were demolished in the 1990s. By training his lens on these working environments, Peter Hamel made a significant contribution to documenting a vanishing world for posterity.
The showcase is on view at the Museum of Utopia and Everyday Life in Eisenhüttenstadt until April 8, 2026.
Eliza TrappPeter Hamel (b. 1955) visited these sites right before and immediately after they were closed down. His images document the working environment in the power plants, their machinery and architectural details. Through the interplay of light and shadow, he captured the emptiness of spaces that were once characterised by the sweat and grime of hard physical labour.
In the early 1990s, eastern Germany’s industry was undergoing a profound transformation: factory closures, abandoned sites and demolitions shaped the everyday life of the working class. Today, this type of industrial culture has all but disappeared as all three power stations were demolished in the 1990s. By training his lens on these working environments, Peter Hamel made a significant contribution to documenting a vanishing world for posterity.
The showcase is on view at the Museum of Utopia and Everyday Life in Eisenhüttenstadt until April 8, 2026.
© Peter Hamel
Illuminated coal storage area and outdoor facilities of the Potsdam power station
Eisenhüttenstadt power station: ash removal system for a steam generator
Works council office at the Finkenheerd power station