The Mittelmann Photo Archive in Leipzig

In 1909, Abram Mittelmann opened his photography studio between what are now cafés, the university library, and the LVZ newsroom. Even 100 years ago, this small area in southern downtown Leipzig was an attractive business district. Passersby, neighbors, and wedding couples had their portraits taken at Mittelmann’s studio—even self-proclaimed Nazis proudly posed for his camera. This walking tour offers insights into the neighborhood’s history and traces the legacy of these photographs right up to the present day. Explore these sites together with historian Achim Beier (AG STOLPERSTEINE).

In 1909, Abram Mittelmann opened his photography studio between what are now cafés, the university library, and the LVZ newsroom. Even 100 years ago, this small area in southern downtown Leipzig was an attractive business district. Passersby, neighbors, and wedding couples had their portraits taken at Mittelmann’s studio—even avowed Nazis proudly posed for his camera. This walking tour offers insights into the neighborhood’s history and traces the legacy of these photographs right up to the present day. Explore these sites together with historian Achim Beier (AG STOLPERSTEINE).

Expressive faces in high-contrast black-and-white, captured with a large-format camera: aesthetics and craftsmanship have united the photography of Abram Mittelmann and Bob Jones for over a century. Join Berlin-based photographic artist Jones on a tour of the exhibition to explore Mittelmann’s visual language and the techniques behind his images. In the workshop that follows, theory becomes practice using a homemade traveling camera—participants will create their own portraits, which will be developed on site.

Who were Abram Mittelmann and his family, and who were the people who had their photographs taken in his studio? What set Mittelmann’s work apart? What was life like for Jewish people in Leipzig between 1900 and 1938? And how does the museum handle the more than 2,000 glass plates and use such artifacts to shed light on the dark chapters of history? These questions are explored during the approximately one-hour long tour of the special exhibition.

In 1909, Abram Mittelmann opened his photography studio between what are now cafés, the university library, and the LVZ newsroom. Even 100 years ago, this small area in southern downtown Leipzig was an attractive business district. Passersby, neighbors, and wedding couples had their portraits taken at Mittelmann’s studio—even self-proclaimed Nazis proudly posed for his camera. This walking tour offers insights into the neighborhood’s history and traces the legacy of these photographs right up to the present day. Explore these sites together with historian Achim Beier (AG STOLPERSTEINE).

Who were Abram Mittelmann and his family, and who were the people who had their photographs taken in his studio? What set Mittelmann’s work apart? What was life like for Jewish people in Leipzig between 1900 and 1938? And how does the museum handle the more than 2,000 glass plates and use such artifacts to shed light on the dark chapters of history? These questions are explored during the approximately one-hour long tour of the special exhibition.

How can future generations come to terms with the crimes of National Socialism and the Shoah? How do we commemorate the victims and tell their stories? How do we address the issue of perpetrators? In her book *Gedenken neu Denken* (Rethinking Remembrance), journalist and author Susanne Siegert takes a critical look at these questions. Through her work on social media, she is finding new approaches—and reaching a wide audience. Drawing on her book and the exhibition, we’ll discuss how to appropriately engage with history—in museums, online, and in society.

In Leipzig during the 1920s and 1930s, Abram and Eugen Mittelmann embodied the classic dilemma of artistic craftsmanship within a modern medium: on the one hand, the pursuit of contemporary visual forms with aesthetic merit; on the other, the need to meet the practical and economic constraints of a strictly regulated profession. For Abram’s son, Eugen Mittelmann, in particular, the contradiction between the “New Vision” movement and the traditional stereotypes of studio portraiture was difficult to bear. The situation worsened beginning in 1933, when the Jewish-owned business was harassed in every respect, culminating in the emigration of Eugen Mittelmann and his family.

The lecture will explore the developments in the lives of father and son Mittelmann themselves, as well as in the immediate and broader context of the photography scene of those years, using specific examples to trace various ramifications. Particular attention will also be paid to the harassment, persecution, and exile of a Jewish craft business.

Who were Abram Mittelmann and his family, and who were the people who had their photographs taken in his studio? What set Mittelmann’s work apart? What was life like for Jewish people in Leipzig between 1900 and 1938? And how does the museum handle the more than 2,000 glass plates and use such artifacts to shed light on the dark chapters of history? These questions are explored during the approximately one-hour long tour of the special exhibition.

One term, various definitions and manifestations: What is antisemitism? What characterized it during the Weimar Republic and under National Socialism? How did it manifest itself in society, in the media, and in the treatment of the Jewish population? What similarities and differences exist between it and today’s anti-Semitism? This panel discussion approaches the topic from an academic perspective while still striving to make it accessible to anyone interested—even those without prior academic knowledge.

Who were Abram Mittelmann and his family, and who were the people who had their photographs taken in his studio? What set Mittelmann’s work apart? What was life like for Jewish people in Leipzig between 1900 and 1938? And how does the museum handle the more than 2,000 glass plates and use such artifacts to shed light on the dark chapters of history? These questions are explored during the approximately one-hour long tour of the special exhibition.