From 27 November 2025 to 28 February 2026, Galerie Buchkunst Berlin will present the exhibition ‘DDR / East Germany – Colour Works’ by Magnum photographer Thomas Hoepker.
Image gallery
Hinterhof mit Spuren der Kämpfe des Zweiten Weltkrieges
Ost-Berlin 1984
The selection of colour photographs, taken between 1972 and 1990 in the former GDR and East Berlin, includes classic images as well as previously unknown and fascinating shots from this period. Thomas Hoepker's Kodachrome colours give a striking new perspective on the GDR.
In 1974, Thomas Hoepker became the first West German photographer to be officially permitted to work in the GDR. He moved to East Berlin and travelled throughout the country from there. Until 1976, he reported for Stern magazine from the self-proclaimed ‘Arbei’ together with his then wife, the journalist Eva Windmöller. His colour photographs, taken here from the early 1970s to 1990, describe life in the GDR with empathy, understanding and Hoepker's unmistakable humour. He photographed the GDR in its own colours and succeeded in conveying an alternative image of the country and its inhabitants, thereby questioning the official representations of state propaganda, which had a monopoly on colour photography in the GDR. His memorable images of the historical upheavals of the reunification period make Thomas Hoepker a chronicler of the disappearance of the GDR from history. The colour photographs of life in the GDR created by Thomas Hoepker are unique in their artistic quality and the insights they provide.
Exhibition: 27 November 2025 - 28 February 2026
BUCHKUNST BERLIN, Oranienburger Str. 27, 10117 Berlin
Opening hours: Thursday - Saturday 2:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.
The new illustrated book ‘Thomas Hoepker – DDR / East Germany – Colour Works 1972–1990’ from our publishing programme will be launched at the opening. With 145 photographs, many of which have never been published before, the illustrated book offers a deep insight into life in the ‘other Germany’. Wolf Biermann, internationally renowned singer-songwriter and poet, complements the work with an essay.
PROGRAMME
Saturday, 13 December 2025, 4–6 p.m.
Photographing the year 1990 – Thomas Hoepker and the last days of the GDR" Photographer Andreas Rost in conversation with gallery owner Thomas Gust. Please register by emailing info@buchkunst-berlin.de. Admission is free.
Saturday, 24 January 2026, 4–6 p.m.
The State and the Images – Thomas Hoepker's Stern Reports from the GDR" Lecture by gallery owner Thomas Gust. Please register by emailing info@buchkunst-berlin.de. Admission is free.
Saturday, 28 February 2026, 4–6 p.m.
Finissage: Lecture and guided tour with Thomas Gust on Thomas Hoepker's GDR photographs.
