Jürgen Henschel. Photochronist in divided Berlin

Straßenszene in Schöneberg aus dem Jahr 1967. Im Hintergrund ist der Sportpalast zu sehen, der 1973 abgerissen wurde. – Straßenszene in Schöneberg aus dem Jahr 1967. Im Hintergrund ist der Sportpalast zu sehen, der 1973 abgerissen wurde. Foto: Jürgen Henschel, Archiv Museen Tempelhof-Schöneberg

As a politically committed chronicler, Jürgen Henschel (1923-2012) photographed protest culture, urban redevelopment and everyday life in West Berlin. The iconic photo of the dying Benno Ohnesorg is his most famous image.

From 1967, Henschel worked as a press photographer for the magazine "Die Wahrheit" (The Truth) of the Socialist Unity Party of West Berlin (SEW), which was financed and directed by the GDR state party SED. The SEW is present in Henschel's photos, but hardly plays a role in West Berlin's political life.

The Tempelhof-Schöneberg Museum archive contains around 23,000 negatives by Jürgen Henschel, who is also known as the "man with the ladder". To mark the 100th birthday of the photographer, the Schöneberg Museum is showing 100 of his black and white photographs from 1953 to 1990. They tell the story of Berlin and reflect the zeitgeist of the divided city.

Translated with DeepL

Runtime: Fri, 17/11/2023 to Sun, 02/06/2024

Takes place here:

• Jugend Museum im Schöneberg Museum