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A Photo Collection Found Hiding in Berlin-Friedrichshain

A girl standing in front of a door, presumably Berlin, about 1918–1922; Jewish Museum Berlin

Every time I open a new folder of photos, I can’t know what’s waiting for me – what faces I’ll find or fates will be revealed. Images are often part of a larger collection, consisting of documents, everyday articles and artwork, for which we already know the biographies of those pictured or can further research. Such was the case, for example, of the cabaret artist, Olga Irén Fröhlich, whom I’ve written about before on this blog. This time, however, the people in the photographs will remain unknown to me; I won’t be able to attach names or histories to them. Perhaps you can!

It’s not out of the ordinary to work with collections that have been in the Museum’s possession for decades. → continue reading

At work, view over the shoulder – open photo album of Olga Irén Fröhlich © Jewish Museum Berlin, photo: Oliver Stratz

I’m looking at recorded instants of an eventful life. 511 moments. Captured by photography, meticulously organized according to subject matter over four photo albums. They come from the estate of Olga Irén Fröhlich, a German-Jewish singer and cabaret artist who worked from the 1930s into the 1960s.

Interesting and poignant biographical stories are often hidden behind the photographs that come into my hands every day. The history of these four photo albums and their one-time owner is a very particular one for me, however, because it’s at once unusual and moving. → continue reading