1/4
1/4
Germany 1955 – 1983
Germany 1955 – 1983
Robert Lebeck
February 10, 2025
Robert Lebeck: Willy Brandt in the dining car of a train, Southern Germany, 1973 © Robert Lebeck Archive
From Elvis Presley to Romy Schneider and Willy Brandt: Robert Lebeck (1929–2014) captured his subjects up-close and personal. In the course of his over three-decade-long career, Lebeck created an extensive body of work that set new standards in reportage and portrait photography – characterised by an unerring understanding of the zeitgeist and the ability to convey it in just a few frames.
With the exhibition Hierzulande (in this country), the Opel Villas present a selection of reportages captured in Germany from 1955 to 1983, which illustrate the photographer’s uncompromising eye for the decisive moment. Lebeck took pictures of people kissing, laughing, drinking and dancing, as well as in moments of hardship and pain. The result is an evocative and historically fascinating document of life in the Federal Republic during that time.
A charismatic yet quiet observer, Lebeck was able to foster a close proximity with those he portrayed, whether they were ordinary citizens or high-ranking personalities. For more than two years, he accompanied Willy Brandt through his election campaign and first steps in office as German Chancellor. His many portraits of Romy Schneider attest to the enormous trust the famed actress placed in the photographer. Maria Callas, Alfred Hitchcock and Josef Beuys were also among those who stepped in front of Lebeck’s lens, giving rise to portraits that are as finely nuanced as they are unforgettable.
Katrin UllmannWith the exhibition Hierzulande (in this country), the Opel Villas present a selection of reportages captured in Germany from 1955 to 1983, which illustrate the photographer’s uncompromising eye for the decisive moment. Lebeck took pictures of people kissing, laughing, drinking and dancing, as well as in moments of hardship and pain. The result is an evocative and historically fascinating document of life in the Federal Republic during that time.
A charismatic yet quiet observer, Lebeck was able to foster a close proximity with those he portrayed, whether they were ordinary citizens or high-ranking personalities. For more than two years, he accompanied Willy Brandt through his election campaign and first steps in office as German Chancellor. His many portraits of Romy Schneider attest to the enormous trust the famed actress placed in the photographer. Maria Callas, Alfred Hitchcock and Josef Beuys were also among those who stepped in front of Lebeck’s lens, giving rise to portraits that are as finely nuanced as they are unforgettable.
ALL IMAGES ON THIS PAGE: © Robert Lebeck
Robert Lebeck+-
Robert Lebeck was born in Berlin of June 21, 1929. After serving in the war and being taken prisoner, studying and spending time in the USA, he began working as a free-lance photo reporter in the fifties. From 1955 to 1960 he worked for Revue, then moved to Hamburg in 1960 where he worked initially for Kristall. From 1966 to 1995 be was employed full-time as a photo journalist for Stern.
Lebeck has had numerous exhibition and received many awards, including the German Photography Association’s Dr. Erich Salomon Prize in 1991, and the Henri Nannen Award for his life’s work in 2007. The photographer passed away in Berlin on June 14, 2014. More
Robert Lebeck: Willy Brandt in the dining car of a train, Southern Germany, 1973 © Robert Lebeck Archive
Robert Lebeck: Alfred Hitchcock on a barge in the port of Hamburg, 1960 © Robert Lebeck Archive
Robert Lebeck: Homecomer with his mother and son at the Friedland Transit Camp, 1955 © Robert Lebeck Archive
Robert Lebeck: Maria Callas at the Daimler-Benz factory in Sindelfingen near Stuttgart, 1959 © Robert Lebeck Archive