Speaking of history - there also is not so beautiful history
and that is where we approach hell.
The following images were made inside the former prison of the former GDR secret police.
This building has a winded history, which is full of horrors in the newer times.
The baroque palais was originally built 1734 to 1737 as a mansion and served various purposes
in the following 200 years from being a Prussian commanders house to a french horses hospital.
From 1933 to 1945 during the time of Nazi terror it was a remand prison for the politically haunted and
it was a court enforcing sterilisation upon 4200 people.
1945-1952 it served as a Soviet court-martial.
From 1952 to 1989 it was a secret police prison of the former GDR.
Today the building serves as memorial place and center of information.
They are rebuilding their website
http://www.gedenkstaette-lindenstrasse.de/ (seems it's not yet finsished).
When after the war the social democrats and the communists were forced to unite into the SED party
as a single socialist party there were official celebrations where everyone had to go.
Pupils were obliged to visit the ceremonies with their school classes and they had to wear red pinks.
Some were wearing white pinks as a sign of protest.
Some of these kids wearing the non-official white pinks were arrested.
Some of the arrested were brought to the Soviet Union - and executed - since it wasn't possible to easily execute them In the Russian Zone / GDR.
Kids - 14 years old ...
And that is only one of the stories ...
There will be a bunch of images coming up, these are the first batch.
The images are not 100% strictly documentary.
I altered them to match my personal view of the place.
E.G. the lamp light in the 4th image in this post was photoshopped,
but I think this is actually the biggest alteration to reality I allowed myself
apart from general photographical tools like contrast, color, sharpness and such.
I didn't add anything entirely new or fake to the images.
So - I'd say it's about 99% documentary.
The whole photo series about the prison will be visible
here.
Cheers
~Chris
Chapter 4: Entering HellEntering Hell: Guardians OfficeGuardians StorageStairway to Watchmens LookoutIn the Prison Yard |