VISIT OF THE EXHIBITION “DR. PAUL WOLFF & TRITSCHLER” IN WETZLAR

This first major retrospective covering the life and work of Dr Paul Wolff (1887–1951) and Alfred Tritschler (1905–1970) rediscovers two of the most culturally and historically significant German photographers of the first half of the 20th century. Even today, Wolff & Tritschler are renowned as outstanding pioneers of Leica photography, outstanding technicians and pioneers of a vibrant style of illustrative photography and reportage. Their estimated 700,000 pictures reflect all significant trends in photographic modernism, from the movements known as ‘Neues Sehen’ (New Vision) to ‘Neue Sachlichkeit’ (New Objectivity). Active from the middle of the 1920s, Wolff & Tritschler accompanied key events and developments of their times with their cameras – the building of the autobahns, steamship cruises, the fascination of the Zeppelins, architectural modernism and the Olympic Games of 1936. Not least this broad thematic spectrum, in combination with their eye for the moment, a passion for seeing and showing, and a clear commitment to the camera as a medium for communication in the age of technology, made their oeuvre so exceptional.

Hans-Michael Koetzle was born 1953 in Ulm/Donau und studied German and history in Munich. He is a free-lance author and journalist specializing in the history and the aesthetics of photography, writing for European Photography, Fotogeschichte and Photo International for example. Between 1996 to 2007 he was the Editor-in-Chief of the award-winning Leica World. He has curated numerous international exhibtions such as the 2014/15 show with publication “Eyes Wide Open! 100 Years of Leica Photography” with venues in Hamburg (DTH/Haus der Photographie), Frankfurt am Main(Fotografie Forum Frankfurt), Berlin (C/O Berlin), Vienna, Munich, Madrid, Rome, Gent and Porto. In 2019 he has curated “Dr. Paul Wolff & Tritschler. Light and Shadow – Photographs 1920 to 1950” for the Ernst Leitz Museum, Wetzlar. Other important publications include „Bertolt Brecht beim Photographen“ (1987), “Die Zeitschrift twen” (1995), “Photo Icons” (2001), “Das Lexikon der Fotografen” (2002), “René Burri: Fotografien” (2004), “F.C. Gundlach – Das fotografische Werk” (2008, with Klaus Honnef, Sebastian Lux and Ulrich Rüter), “Fotografen A – Z” (2011), “Eyes on Paris” (2011), “René Burri – Impossible Reminiscences” (2013), “Rudi Meisel – Landsleute” (2015), “Fred Herzog” (2016) “Willy Fleckhaus: Design, Revolte, Regenborgen” (2016, with Carsten Wolff) and “Sehnsucht – Die Sammlung Michael Horbach” (2017).

ERNST LEITZ MUSEUM WETZLAR (WEBSITE)