Pictures that make history

On May 16, 2018, at 19:00, the Galerie für Fotografie (GAF) in Hanover is extending an invitation to the vernissage of the exhibition Bilder, die Geschichte schreiben. The works presented will be on display until June 17, 2018. The German magazine, Stern, brought us coverage of the collapse of the Socialist system in Eastern Europe at the end of the eighties like few others; and virtually no other photo reporter pursued events on such a constant basis as Harald Schmitt. Many of his pictures have made photo history. With the exhibition Bilder, die Geschichte schreiben, the GAF is now presenting scenes that took place before, during and after the collapse - pictures taken in East Germany, Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, the Soviet Union and the CSSR.

Born in Hausen/Mayen on March 2, 1948, Harald Schmitt, trained as a photographer and then began working at the Trier state newspaper. After that he was a sports photographer for Dieter Frinke in Munich before changing to the Sven Simon agency in Bonn in 1972, where he began photographing political and financial matters. In 1977 he joined Stern, working as an accredited correspondent for the magazine in East Berlin up until 1982. During that time, he accompanied Erich Honecker to Japan and Zambia, and photographed reportages on the neighbouring, socialist countries. In 1983, the East German government no longer extended his visa. After that, Schmitt worked out of Stern head quarters in Hamburg, travelling the whole world up until 2011. He has been the recipient of the World Press Photo Award six times.

Galerie für Fotografie Hannover