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True Gems of Photojournalism
True Gems of Photojournalism
March 20, 2019
Tanzende Paare, from the series ‘Deutschland im März’, 1983
© Robert Lebeck (Nachlass) courtesy Freelens Galerie
The Freelens Gallery in Hamburg pays tribute to the great German photojournalist by presenting his famous series ‘Germany in March’ (1983) along with a selection of previously unpublished works. The showcase is open from 21 March to 16 May 2019.
1983 was a turbulent year in the Federal Republic of Germany – marked by the looming possibility of a nuclear war, a steel and shipbuilding industry in crisis, rising unemployment rates, acid rain and forest decline, and the Green Party entering the German parliament for the first time.
In the lead-up to the parliamentary elections, Robert Lebeck was asked by Stern magazine to capture the overall atmosphere within the country at this time. He embarked on the assignment without a definite plan. The resulting feature, spanning 12 double pages, became the most extensive reportage Lebeck would ever publish in Stern.
With Germany in March the photographer, who often worked with Leica cameras, presented an unsparing picture of the Federal Republic. The series counts as one of the great highlights of the documentarist’s oeuvre as well as a remarkable example of German photojournalism.
Robert Lebeck (born 1929 in Berlin, where he passed away in 2014) started out as a freelance photographer for various newspapers in Heidelberg. In 1955 he became the head of the editorial offices of Revue in Frankfurt/Main, before moving to Kristall magazine. His unusual photo reportages captured the attention of Stern, resulting in Lebeck joining the magazine’s team of staff reporters. After a brief interlude as chief editor at Geo, he returned to Stern.
In 1991, Lebeck was presented with the Dr. Erich Salomon Award of the German Society of Photography. In 2002, he received the Infinity Award of the I.C.P. in New York for his publication ‘Kiosk’. In 2007, Lebeck was the first photographer whose life’s work was honoured with the Henri Nannen Prize. In addition to his career as a photojournalist, Lebeck was also renowned as an avid collector of vintage photographs. For further information visit Freelens e.V.
1983 was a turbulent year in the Federal Republic of Germany – marked by the looming possibility of a nuclear war, a steel and shipbuilding industry in crisis, rising unemployment rates, acid rain and forest decline, and the Green Party entering the German parliament for the first time.
In the lead-up to the parliamentary elections, Robert Lebeck was asked by Stern magazine to capture the overall atmosphere within the country at this time. He embarked on the assignment without a definite plan. The resulting feature, spanning 12 double pages, became the most extensive reportage Lebeck would ever publish in Stern.
With Germany in March the photographer, who often worked with Leica cameras, presented an unsparing picture of the Federal Republic. The series counts as one of the great highlights of the documentarist’s oeuvre as well as a remarkable example of German photojournalism.
Robert Lebeck (born 1929 in Berlin, where he passed away in 2014) started out as a freelance photographer for various newspapers in Heidelberg. In 1955 he became the head of the editorial offices of Revue in Frankfurt/Main, before moving to Kristall magazine. His unusual photo reportages captured the attention of Stern, resulting in Lebeck joining the magazine’s team of staff reporters. After a brief interlude as chief editor at Geo, he returned to Stern.
In 1991, Lebeck was presented with the Dr. Erich Salomon Award of the German Society of Photography. In 2002, he received the Infinity Award of the I.C.P. in New York for his publication ‘Kiosk’. In 2007, Lebeck was the first photographer whose life’s work was honoured with the Henri Nannen Prize. In addition to his career as a photojournalist, Lebeck was also renowned as an avid collector of vintage photographs. For further information visit Freelens e.V.
Tanzende Paare, from the series ‘Deutschland im März’, 1983
© Robert Lebeck (Nachlass) courtesy Freelens Galerie
Hamburger Fischmarkt, from the series ‘Deutschland im März’, 1983
© Robert Lebeck (Nachlass) courtesy Freelens Galerie
Winterschlussverkauf, from the series ‘Deutschland im März’, 1983
© Robert Lebeck (Nachlass) courtesy Freelens Galerie