born in Munich in 1936. Early successes and awards. Photo reporter for the Münchner Illustrierten in 1960; as of 1962 member of the Kristall editorial team, then working for Stern as of 1964. In addition to black and white pictures, Hoepker is able to produce early colour pictures for the magazine. Here too, his Leica is his indispensable work tool. Starting in the 1970s, he also works as a cameraman producing numerous documentary and TV movies. Hoepker moves to New York in 1976, and from 1978 to 1981 is the Executive Editor of the American edition of GEO. He returns to Hamburg and works as Art Director for Stern's chief editorial team. In 1989 he becomes the first German member of the renowned Magnum Photos Agency, acting as its President from 2003 to 2007. He produces further documentaries with his second wife, the film maker Christine Kruchen. He is the recipient of numerous awards, including the Culture Prize of the German Photographic Society (DGPh) in 1968. In 2005, thousands of photographs are donated to the Photography Museum in the city of Munich. In 2014 Hoepker is honoured with the Leica Hall of Fame Award. After a long illness, he passed away on July 10, 2024 in Santiago de Chile.
