Chargesheimer

Chargesheimer, born in Cologne in 1924, studied applied arts and photography at the Kölner Werkschulen in the years after WWII. His artistic interests ranged from opera, theatre, costume design and painting to photography. In 1950, Chargesheimer started to experiment with abstract light graphics on photography paper and surrealistic photomontages. Yet he became widely recognized for his work as a freelance photographer and his dynamic and aggressive portraits of public figures (e.g. Konrad Adenauer) and common citizens of post-war Germany.

Chargesheimer published 14 books on different topics such as the city, landscapes and theatre photography. In addition, he has created kinetic objects he called “Meditationsmühlen”, acrylic glass moving sculptures. His last and most well-know title, Köln 5Uhr30, was published in 1970. The “German Photography Association” (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Photographie – DGPh) honored Chargesheimer with its Culture Award in 1968, and in 1980 the City of Cologne Grant Program for the Arts was named after him. On the initiative of the “Chargesheimer Society”, a small square between the Cologne Cathedral and the Main Station’s old waiting room was named after “Chargesheimer” in 2006. A bronze plaque inside the old waiting room pays homage to the photographer. Chargesheimer died on New Years Eve 1971 in Cologne.