Out now: Urban Eyes. Deutschsprachige Fotograf*innen im New Yorker Exil in den 1930er- und 1940er- Jahre

When the National Socialists came to power, New York established itself as a city of arrival for German-speaking photographers who had managed to flee Europe. Photography as a medium was in a state of upheaval at this time, partly due to efforts to establish it as an art form. The exiles, in turn, brought with them different training, camera types and emigration histories. Some had already worked professionally, others had to give up their learned professions and acquired photographic skills through self-tuition. Their artistic strategies in exile in New York therefore also differed. The camera served as a medium for engaging with the metropolis, reflecting on the experience of emigration, building networks and simply surviving economically.
In order to comprehensively analyze the complex relationships between photography and exile in the context of the metropolis of New York, Helene Roth takes a closer look at the creative achievements and heterogeneous perspectives, but also the defeats and setbacks of emigrated photographers. From a transnational perspective, she looks at the socio-cultural, political and artistic developments during the 1930s and 1940s.

The book (German-language edition, hardcover) is available in bookshops (online and on site). It can also be downloaded here as Open Access. The English edition of Exil London will be published in 2025!