New York/East Berlin 1987

Neue Synagoge, Oranienburger Strasse, Berlin, 1987 (4x5 film)

I've been scanning a series of pictures I made in 1987 in what was then East Berlin. This was a somewhat difficult proposition given the nature of the communist state of the DDR. Carrying a view camera across the border elicited the attention of the border agents, who nevertheless, let me through. I always said that I was interested in Schinkel architecture, which was true up to a point. In retrospect I wish I had photographed Schinkel architecture back when everything over there was frozen in a post-war decrepit condition. But I did wander the streets of Berlin Mitte avoiding, as best I could, the gaze of the Volkspolizei, as I photographed the desolated neglect of the city.


Bodestrasse, Berlin, 1987 (4x5 film)

I probably did three days of shooting all together. It was just too stressful for me. I figured at some point I would be detained for questioning, or worse. That almost happened when I went with my American friend Anamarie Michnevich in search of early 20th century modernist housing to photograph. What we found, entirely by accident, was the headquarters of the notorious Stasi, the East German secret police. Guards suddenly appeared and began pointing and calling out. We dashed down a subway stair just as a train entered and we zipped out of there. That was it for me. I gave up on doing more East Berlin photography.

I will post more photographs in the coming days.