Black and white photograph: people dressed in festive outfits dancing; in the background is a stage decorated with two Israeli flags and a band playing.

Leonard Freed, Simhat Torah ball, Köln, 1961; Jewish Museum Berlin, accession 2006/198/8

German Jews Today

Leonard Freed

At the start of the 1960s, not even 20 years after the abyss of the Holocaust, the American-Jewish photographer Leonard Freed (1929‒2006) spent several months traveling through West Germany. He wanted to use his camera to capture how German Jews were currently living. Through his images, Freed set out to counteract the Germans’ ignorance of the invisible Jewish minority living among them. He took photographs in several Jewish communities, especially in the areas around Frankfurt and Düsseldorf.

11 Nov 2024 to 27 Apr 2025

Map with all buildings that belong to the Jewish Museum Berlin. The Libeskind building is marked in green

Where

Libeskind Building, ground level, Eric F. Ross Gallery
Lindenstraße 9–14, 10969 Berlin

Where, when, what?

In 1965, 52 of his photographs were published with accompanying texts under the title Deutsche Juden heute (German Jews Today). These images and texts focus on the Jewish communities and discuss the relationship between Jews and Germans. Jewish life is fragile; there are only a few small communities whose existence is controversial both within and outside of Germany. The themes in Freed’s book were also discussed in two earlier publications that appeared in 1963 and 1964: an issue of the news magazine Der Spiegel with the title “Juden in Deutsch­land” (Jews in Germany); and a volume published by Hermann Kesten called ich lebe nicht in der Bundes­republik (I don’t live in the Federal Republic). The question of whether it is possible to live as a Jew in Germany shapes a debate that lasts until today.

All 52 photographs from Leonard Freed’s series, purchased from the photographer’s widow Brigitte Freed, are part of the museum’s collection. They are exhibited in their entirety for the first time.

(52 items)
  • Black and white photograph: Two light-colored female and two male busts stand offset in front of a dark wall.

    Leonard Freed, Marble busts in front of the wall of the old Jewish cemetery, Frank­furt am Main, 1961; Jewish Museum Berlin, accession 2008/305/1. Further information about this photo can be found in our online collections (in German)

  • Black and white photograph: A large number of gravestones stand on an area overgrown with grass. Most of the stones are not upright, but leaning forwards or backwards. The sun is shining so that the gravestones cast long shadows.

    Leonard Freed, Jewish cemetery, Worms, 1961; Jewish Museum Berlin, accession 2008/305/2. Further information about this photo can be found in our online collections (in German)

  • Black and white photograph: Amidst the remains of a wall, a man fits a brick into a wall. In front of him on the left is a lectern decorated with an Israeli flag and a microphone. Spectators stand in the background.

    Leonard Freed, Groundbreaking ceremony for the new synagogue, Mainz, 1962; Jewish Museum Berlin, accession 2006/198/13. Further information about this photo can be found in our online collections (in German)

  • Black and white photograph: A crowd stands behind a cordon in front of a house wall. Most of the people are wearing coats and hats. An Israeli and a German flag are hoisted in the upper part of the picture. In the background is an apartment building with balconies; a man and a woman are standing on the top one and looking down.

    Leonard Freed, Re-dedication of the synagogue, Worms, 1961; Jewish Museum Berlin, accession 2008/305/31. Further information about this photo can be found in our online collections (in German)

  • Black and white photograph: Children playing at a intersection in front of a synagogue. Two boys are lying on the curb, holding toy guns in their hands. Two girls, one of whom is holding a balloon, are standing by a street lamp. A teenager in lederhosen crosses the street.

    Leonard Freed, New synagogue and new community center, Düsseldorf, 1961; Jewish Museum Berlin, accession 2008/305/3. Further information about this photo can be found in our online collections (in German)

  • Black and white photograph: A gentleman in a hunting hat and suit presents a necklace with numerous pendants.

    Leonard Freed, Hugo Spiegel (1905‒1987) as the champion shot, Warendorf, 1962; Jewish Museum Berlin, accession 2006/198/3. Further information about this photo can be found in our online collections (in German)

  • Black and white photograph: An old man is sitting in an armchair, holding a walking stick in front of him. To his right is a table with a tablecloth and two potted plants on it. A large painting hangs on the wall above him. It shows a scene from a synagogue. The painting is framed in a heavy frame with Hebrew lettering.

    Leonard Freed, In the Jewish hospital, West-Berlin, 1961; Jewish Museum Berlin, accession 2008/305/4. Further information about this photo can be found in our online collections (in German)

  • Black and white photograph: The photo shows the bent arm of a woman. The number “49085” is tattooed on her forearm. Below it is a triangle. She is wearing a bracelet on her wrist. A table, a woman, trees and a river can be seen blurred behind her.

    Leonard Freed, Arm of a woman with a tattooed number from the Auschwitz concentration camp, on a ship on the river Rhine, 1961; Jewish Museum Berlin, accession 2008/305/5. Further information about this photo can be found in our online collections (in German)

  • Black and white photograph: A woman is standing in front of a window in a darkened room. She is looking down at a child squatting on a bed in front of her. Another child is sitting to her right. In the foreground is a candlelit table. It is set with fruit, milk and other things.

    Leonard Freed, Apartment of a poor family, Frankfurt am Main, 1961; Jewish Museum Berlin, accession 2008/305/6. Further information about this photo can be found in our online collections (in German)

  • Black and white photograph: In the foreground of the picture, hands can be seen holding an open Hebrew prayer book up to the camera. Inside are three photographs: the first shows a man in a suit standing on a path, the second is a double portrait of a man in uniform and a woman in dark clothing with a light collar, the third is a portrait shot of a man in three-quarter profile with a dark suit, tie and shirt.

    Leonard Freed, Photographs of relatives in the prayer book of a member of the Jewish community, Frankfurt am Main, 1961; Jewish Museum Berlin, accession 2008/305/32. Further information about this photo can be found in our online collections (in German)

  • Black and white photograph: Wooden slats lie across a ditch in an overgrown area. Some of the boards have come loose and are lying diagonally on top of each other. On the left, the area is bordered by a high wall.

    Leonard Freed, Wooden grating over the blood trenches in the former concentration camp, Dachau, 1965; Jewish Museum Berlin, accession 2008/305/7. Further information about this photo can be found in our online collections (in German)

  • Black and white photograph: Two men with hats are sitting at a table in front of open books. The man on the left is looking towards the camera, while the man on the right is looking at the book and turning a page.

    Leonard Freed, In the Polish prayer room, Frankfurt am Main, 1961; Jewish Museum Berlin, accession 2006/198/9. Further information about this photo can be found in our online collections (in German)

  • Black and white photograph: A prayer leader stands in front of the lectern in a prayer room. His head is covered with a tallit (prayer shawl) and his wrist is wrapped with a prayer strap. The lectern is lit by candles. Three men sitting on benches can be seen in the background. The man in front covers his face with his right hand.

    Leonard Freed, Morning service in the Polish prayer room, Frankfurt am Main, 1961; Jewish Museum Berlin, accession 2008/305/8. Further information about this photo can be found in our online collections (in German)

  • Black and white photograph: Five men are in a room. All are wearing headgear and a tallit. Four are sitting, one is standing. The face of the person in the foreground is completely covered by the tallit. He is reading a scroll.

    Leonard Freed, Reading the Torah in the Polish prayer room, Frankfurt am Main, 1961; Jewish Museum Berlin, accession 2008/305/9. Further information about this photo can be found in our online collections (in German)

  • Black and white photograph: An elderly man carries a Torah scroll covered with a Torah mantle. He himself is wearing a hat as a head covering, a tallit and a prayer strap around his arm. Behind him, three other similarly dressed men can be seen in conversation.

    Leonard Freed, After the reading of the Torah in the Polish prayer room, Frankfurt am Main, 1961; Jewish Museum Berlin, accession 2008/305/10. Further information about this photo can be found in our online collections (in German)

  • Black and white photograph: Eight men and three children can be seen in a room. All but two of the children are wearing headgear. They are standing close together in rows. One boy is standing slightly higher and holding a lit candle in his right hand. A man is holding the child’s arm for support.

    Leonard Freed, Havdalah ceremony in the Polish prayer room, Frankfurt am Main, 1961; Jewish Museum Berlin, accession 2008/305/11. Further information about this photo can be found in our online collections (in German)

  • Black and white photograph: The photo shows a lady and several children, two of the children are holding a candle. They are in a room and surround a table. The wall in the background depicts the battle of David against Goliath.

    Leonard Freed, Hanukkah in the Jewish community, Frankfurt am Main, 1961; Jewish Museum Berlin, accession 2006/198/5. Further information about this photo can be found in our online collections (in German)

  • Black and white photograph: Portrait of a girl in half-profile facing right. She is wearing dark clothing and dark wavy long hair. She wears a necklace with a Star of David pendant around her neck.

    Leonard Freed, Girl, Düsseldorf, 1961; Jewish Museum Berlin, accession 2008/305/12. Further information about this photo can be found in our online collections (in German)

  • Black and white photograph: A man and a woman are standing in an apartment with a skylight. She is holding an unclothed baby in her arms. Two other windows with curtains and two potted plants on a ledge can be seen in the background.

    Leonard Freed, Young married couple, Düsseldorf, 1962; Jewish Museum Berlin, accession 2008/305/13. Further information about this photo can be found in our online collections (in German)

  • Black and white photograph: In the foreground, a girl and a young woman with a headscarf are blessing the Shabbat candles, which are placed in a two-armed candlestick on a table with a white tablecloth. In the background, a baby can be seen in a baby swing.

    Leonard Freed, Lighting the candles on Shabbat, Frankfurt am Main, 1961; Jewish Museum Berlin, accession 2006/198/7. Further information about this photo can be found in our online collections (in German)

  • Black and white photograph: An elderly man in a dark suit wearing a kippah is sitting on a chair. He can be seen in profile hugging a little girl with glasses in light-colored clothing who is sitting on his lap.

    Leonard Freed, Grandfather and grandchild, Düsseldorf, 1961; Jewish Museum Berlin, accession 2006/198/10. Further information about this photo can be found in our online collections (in German)

  • Black and white photograph: A bride and groom stand under a wedding canopy, both their backs facing the viewer and partially covered by a prayer shawl. The rabbi who is marrying them and a chasan (cantor) are standing in front of the bride and groom.

    Leonard Freed, Wedding ceremony in the synagogue, West-Berlin, 1961; Jewish Museum Berlin, accession 2008/305/33. Further information about this photo can be found in our online collections (in German)

  • Black and white photograph: At a long, festively laid table, guests raise their glasses to greet a boy at the end of the table. He is wearing a light-colored kippah.

    Leonard Freed, Bar Mitzvah celebration, Düsseldorf, 1961; Jewish Museum Berlin, accession 2008/305/14. Further information about this photo can be found in our online collections (in German)

  • Black and white photograph: In the center of the photo is a boy in a suit and with a white kippah in profile, surrounded by three women and a man. A pile of presents can be seen in front of the boy.

    Leonard Freed, Bar Mitzvah, Düsseldorf, 1961; Jewish Museum Berlin, accession 2006/198/1. Further information about this photo can be found in our online collections (in German)

  • Black and white photograph: A man with a kippah can be seen in the foreground of the picture from diagonally behind, his head and gaze directed upwards. He is standing in front of a middle-aged man in uniform, who can be seen on the right of the picture in three-quarter profile. His gaze is also directed upwards. Both are standing in front of a wall with wallpaper patterned with rectangular shapes of different sizes.

    Leonard Freed, The chief of the city’s police in the Jewish community hall, Mainz, 1961; Jewish Museum Berlin, accession 2008/305/15. Further information about this photo can be found in our online collections (in German)

  • Black and white photograph: Portrait of a man with a narrowly shaved moustache. He is wearing the dark headgear of a cantor and dark clothing. Other people can be seen blurred in the background.

    Leonard Freed, The synagogue’s chief cantor, Köln, 1961; Jewish Museum Berlin, accession 2008/305/16. Further information about this photo can be found in our online collections (in German)

  • Black and white photograph: Some men stand and sit between and in the pews of a synagogue. They are wearing dark suits and various head coverings. In the background of the picture is a large, very bright window front. This makes the people in the foreground appear very dark and makes the photo very rich in contrast.

    Leonard Freed, Before service in the synagogue, Düsseldorf, 1961; Jewish Museum Berlin, accession 2008/305/17. Further information about this photo can be found in our online collections (in German)

  • Black and white photograph: people dressed in festive outfits dancing; in the background is a stage decorated with two Israeli flags and a band playing.

    Leonard Freed, Simhat Torah ball, Köln, 1961; Jewish Museum Berlin, accession 2006/198/8. Further information about this photo can be found in our online collections (in German)

  • Black and white photograph: A man in a work shirt and apron stands in front of a window or door frame. Only his head and shoulders are shown. Light is shining on his face from the left and he is looking to the right.

    Leonard Freed, Stonemason Jakob Horowitz, Frankfurt am Main, 1961; Jewish Museum Berlin, accession 2008/305/18. Further information about this photo can be found in our online collections (in German)

  • Black and white photograph: Two men in suits are sitting in front of a small table with their legs crossed, looking at a woman in a costume. The woman is standing in the foreground with her back to the viewer. Curtains and a mirror can be seen behind the men.

    Leonard Freed, Textile manufacturer Arno Lustiger (1924‒2012), Düsseldorf, 1961; Jewish Museum Berlin, accession 2006/198/12. Further information about this photo can be found in our online collections (in German)

  • Black and white photograph: The photo shows two corner houses at a rainy intersection. In front of the left-hand corner house are sales tables covered with tarpaulins. The corner house on the right houses a kosher butcher’s shop, with a sign on the façade above the store entrance reading “Fleisch u. Wurstwaren Geflügel Albert Stern” (Meat and sausage products poultry Albert Stern). An elderly man with a coat, hat and pipe in his mouth can be seen in the foreground.

    Leonard Freed, Kosher butcher on a street corner, Frankfurt am Main, 1961; Jewish Museum Berlin, accession 2006/198/11. Further information about this photo can be found in our online collections (in German)

  • Black and white photograph: View into a slaughter room. In the right half of the picture are six men, four of whom are wearing headgear. The left half of the picture shows cut-up meat on tables and on hooks on the wall.

    Leonard Freed, Kosher slaughterhouse, Frankfurt am Main, 1961; Jewish Museum Berlin, accession 2006/198/6. Further information about this photo can be found in our online collections (in German)

  • Black and white photograph: A middle-aged man with sunglasses and a sun hat is eating an ice cream. In the background, many people can be seen in a blur.

    Leonard Freed, Insurance inspector Walter Seligmann, on a ship on the river Rhine, 1961; Jewish Museum Berlin, accession 2008/305/19. Further information about this photo can be found in our online collections (in German)

  • Black and white photograph: A newspaper vendor wearing a peaked cap stands at a crossroads with newspapers under his arm.

    Leonard Freed, Newspaper salesman Streigold, Düsseldorf, 1961; Jewish Museum Berlin, accession 2006/198/2. Further information about this photo can be found in our online collections (in German)

  • Black and white photograph: An older man sits at a table in a theater dressing room and stares into the mirror. He is seen in profile, wearing a jacket, his gray hair combed back. He is resting his elbows on the table, his hands are touching and appear slightly clenched.

    Leonard Freed, Ernst Deutsch (1890–1969), West-Berlin, 1961; Jewish Museum Berlin, accession 2008/305/34. Further information about this photo can be found in our online collections (in German)

  • Black and white photograph: Portrait of a middle-aged man in front of a wall of books. One half of his face is heavily shaded.

    Leonard Freed, Alfred Kantorowicz (1899–1979), Hamburg, 1961; Jewish Museum Berlin, accession 2008/305/20. Further information about this photo can be found in our online collections (in German)

  • Black and white photograph: An elderly gentleman in a white doctor’s coat pushes a trolley with six newborn babies, behind him in the corridor is a nurse with a bundle in her arms.

    Leonard Freed, Herbert Lewin (1899–1982), Offenbach am Main, 1964; Jewish Museum Berlin, accession 2006/198/4. Further information about this photo can be found in our online collections (in German)

  • Black and white photograph: An older man with short gray hair wearing a jacket with a woven pattern is sitting in the dormer window of a house. He keeps his head down and touches his forehead thoughtfully. He is holding a cigar or a pen in his hand. The roof and neighboring houses can be seen through the window in the background.

    Leonard Freed, Fritz Kortner (1892–1970), München, 1962; Jewish Museum Berlin, accession 2008/305/35. Further information about this photo can be found in our online collections (in German)

  • Black and white photograph: A family with children is sitting on a dark fur rug in a large living room. An elderly lady wearing an apron squats on all fours in front of the people on the fur and looks at them.

    Leonard Freed, Artur Brauner (1918–2019) with his family, West-Berlin, 1962; Jewish Museum Berlin, accession 2008/305/36. Further information about this photo can be found in our online collections (in German)

  • Black and white photograph: An older man with gray hair in a dark suit sits in an armchair and looks into the camera from a slight angle. A tall mirror can be seen in the blurred background.

    Leonard Freed, Ludwig Marcuse (1894–1971), Frankfurt am Main, 1962; Jewish Museum Berlin, accession 2008/305/37. Further information about this photo can be found in our online collections (in German)

  • Black and white photograph: Portrait of an older woman with dark, graying hair tied back. She is looking to the right. To her left is a rose in a glass bottle on a table on which a cup and a few notebooks can also be seen.

    Leonard Freed, Therese Giehse (1898–1975), München, 1961; Jewish Museum Berlin, accession 2008/305/21. Further information about this photo can be found in our online collections (in German)

  • Black and white photograph: An elderly man sits in front of a wall of books in a study. Many books can also be seen on the table. He is photographed from diagonally above, holding both his arms out to the side with his palms open upwards.

    Leonard Freed, Willy Haas (1891–1973), Hamburg, 1961; Jewish Museum Berlin, accession 2008/305/22. Further information about this photo can be found in our online collections (in German)

  • Black and white photograph: An older woman in dark clothing and with dark hair is sitting on a chair. Next to her stands another woman, she raises her index finger, the two are looking at each other. A skeleton is poorly visible in the background, possibly a dimly lit scene on a theater stage.

    Leonard Freed, Ida Ehre (1900–1989), Hamburg, 1961; Jewish Museum Berlin, accession 2008/305/38. Further information about this photo can be found in our online collections (in German)

  • Black and white photograph: A group of young people stand on the defensive wall of a castle. The photographer is taking the picture from a slightly elevated position. In the background you can see a defense tower on the left and vineyards in a hilly landscape on the right.

    Leonard Freed, A group from the Bad Sobernheim holiday camp on a field trip, Reichenstein Castle, 1961; Jewish Museum Berlin, accession 2008/305/23. Further information about this photo can be found in our online collections (in German)

  • Black and white photograph: Portrait of a young couple: She leans her face against his shoulder and looks into the camera, his face is turned towards her and can be seen in profile from diagonally behind, his head is leaning against hers.

    Leonard Freed, Young couple, Düsseldorf, 1961; Jewish Museum Berlin, accession 2008/305/39. Further information about this photo can be found in our online collections (in German)

  • Black and white photograph: Two children stand behind each other. They are holding hands on the right and holding their arms up at an angle on the left. It looks as if they are performing something. Behind them, the sun is shining on a meadow and a hedge.

    Leonard Freed, Children dancing the Hora at the holiday camp, Bad Sobernheim, 1961; Jewish Museum Berlin, accession 2008/305/24. Further information about this photo can be found in our online collections (in German)

  • Black and white photograph: Four children at play, three of them standing close together, some with their arms crossed or holding hands. A girl stands to the left of the group and looks at the other knotted children. In the background, tents on a meadow can be seen in a blur.

    Leonard Freed, Children playing, Bad Sobernheim, 1961; Jewish Museum Berlin, accession 2008/305/25. Further information about this photo can be found in our online collections (in German)

  • Black and white photograph: Six young people stand on the banks of a wide river. They are not standing together, but spread out across the entire picture. Some are looking towards the viewer, others across to the city that stretches along the opposite side of the river. The group makes an exuberant impression.

    Leonard Freed, The youth group, Düsseldorf, 1961; Jewish Museum Berlin, accession 2008/305/26. Further information about this photo can be found in our online collections (in German)

  • Black and white photograph: Several children are sitting together in a group on the floor of a gym. They are all wearing sports shorts and some sports shoes, the boys are not wearing tops, the girls are wearing sleeveless tops.

    Leonard Freed, Children at the Makkabi sports club, Düsseldorf, 1961; Jewish Museum Berlin, accession 2008/305/27. Further information about this photo can be found in our online collections (in German)

  • Black and white photograph: Several children are sitting at tables, but only the boy at the front left of the picture is in focus. He appears to be eating and puts his fingers in his mouth. He is wearing a kippah, as is the boy behind him on the right. The sun is shining on their faces from the left.

    Leonard Freed, Children from Düsseldorf at a school camp, Westerwald, 1961; Jewish Museum Berlin, accession 2008/305/28. Further information about this photo can be found in our online collections (in German)

  • Black and white photograph: View of a group of young people on a staircase in a bright, high room with a rounded vaulted ceiling. Numerous antlers of various animals hang on the wall in the background, framing a stuffed moose head with antlers.

    Leonard Freed, Children from Bad Sobernheim on an excursion, Reichenstein Castle, 1961; Jewish Museum Berlin, accession 2008/305/29. Further information about this photo can be found in our online collections (in German)

  • Black and white photograph: A group of children sit and stand close together on the right next to a forest path. An adult woman sits in the middle. On the forest path, slightly away from the group, stands a boy. He has his hood up, his head down and his hands clasped behind his back.

    Leonard Freed, Children on an autumn excursion, Westerwald, 1961; Jewish Museum Berlin, accession 2008/305/30. Further information about this photo can be found in our online collections (in German)

Leonard Freed’s Photo Series German Jews Today

1961 und 1962 nimmt Leonard Freed die jüdische Gemein­schaft in West­deutsch­land in den Blick. Es ist nicht das erste Mal, dass er sich einem jüdischen Thema widmet. Bereits 1954 foto­grafiert er ortho­doxe Jüdinnen und Juden in Williams­burg, in Brooklyn, New York, wo er geboren und auf­gewachsen ist. 1958 ver­öffentlicht er 52 Auf­nahmen einer um­fang­reichen Serie über jüdisches Leben in Amster­dam in seinem ersten Buch Joden van Amster­dam.

Für sein Projekt in Deutsch­land foto­grafiert er vor allem in den Gegenden um Frank­furt und Düssel­dorf, aber auch in Bad Sobern­heim, Berlin, Dachau, Essen, Ham­burg, Köln, Mainz, Mün­chen, Nürn­berg, Offen­bach, Waren­dorf, Worms, im Wester­wald und in der Burg Reichen­stein. Nur wenige Auf­nahmen kommen ohne Menschen aus. Die Personen­ab­bildungen sind keine klassi­schen Porträts, sondern geben Situationen und Stimmungen wieder.

Nicht einmal 20 Jahre sind seit dem Ende der Schoa ver­gangen. Die wenigen jüdischen Ge­mein­den sind klein, insge­samt leben um die 25.000 Jüdinnen und Juden in West­deutsch­land. Ihre An­wesen­heit im „Land der Täter“ ist alles andere als selbst­ver­ständ­lich. Die meisten sind aus Mangel an Alter­nativen dort und sitzen „auf ge­packten Koffern“. Auch außer­halb Deutsch­lands werden sie mit Un­ver­ständnis beobachtet. Und die Mehr­heits­gesell­schaft ist weiter­hin durch Anti­semitis­mus ge­prägt. Die Auf­arbeitung des National­sozialis­mus kommt nur lang­sam in Gang. Nach dem Eich­mann-Pro­zess 1961 in Jeru­salem braucht es zwei weitere Jahre, bis der Auschwitz-Prozess in Frank­furt statt­findet. Diplo­matische Be­ziehungen zwischen der BRD und Israel werden erst 1965 auf­genommen. Im selben Jahr dis­kutiert der Bundes­tag über die Ver­jährung von NS-Un­recht, gleich­zeitig wünschen sich nicht wenige Bürgerinnen und Bürger einen „Schluss­strich“. 1966 tagt der jüdische Welt­kon­gress in Brüssel, um über das Thema „Deutsche und Juden - ein un­gelöstes Problem“ zu dis­kutieren - in Deutsch­land wäre eine solche Ver­anstaltung zu dieser Zeit noch un­denkbar.

Leonard Freed versucht, mit seinen Foto­grafien der Un­wissen­heit der Deutschen über die un­sicht­bare jüdische Mino­rität in ihrem Land ent­gegen­zu­wirken. Es ist ihm ein wichtiges An­liegen – er beobachtet, wie Deutsche sich nicht mit ihrer jüngeren Ver­gangen­heit aus­einander­setzen wollen. Als er seine spätere Frau Brigitte kennen­lernt und sie bei ihren Eltern in Dort­mund besucht, sind auch seine Momente dort von diesem Ein­druck ge­prägt. Neben Freeds auf­klärerischer Moti­vation ist aber auch die Suche nach seiner eigenen jüdischen Iden­tität prägend für das Lang­zeit­projekt.

Brigitte und Leonard Freed wohnen Anfang der 1960er Jahre bereits mit ihrer kleinen Tochter Elke Susannah in Amster­dam. Um für das Foto­projekt gemeinsam in unter­schiedliche deutsche Städte reisen zu können, lassen sie ihre Tochter immer wieder bei ihren Groß­eltern in Dort­mund. Brigitte dolmetscht, organisiert Foto­termine und ist bei den Auf­nahmen dabei. Später stellt sie Ab­züge in der Dunkel­kammer her und be­schriftet die Foto­grafien.

Aus mehreren tausend Bildern wählt Leonard Freed 52 Motive für das Buch aus, das er 1965 auf 96 Seiten mit dem Titel Deutsche Juden heute ver­öffentlicht. Die Gestaltung ver­antwor­tet der renommierte Designer Willy Fleckhaus und mehrere Beiträge von jüdischen Intel­lek­tuellen ver­binden die Foto­grafien kon­genial mit ein­drück­lichen Texten. Zu jedem Motiv schreibt Freed selbst zum Teil sehr aus­führ­liche Bild­legenden. Im Gegen­satz zu anderen Büchern geben diese nicht seine subjektiven Ein­drücke wieder, sondern sind neutral und informativ formuliert.

Auch die Abfolge der Motive ist sicher­lich bewusst gewählt. Leonard Freed zeichnet sowohl skeptische als auch hoffnungs­volle Bilder mit seiner Kamera. Umgesetzt sind fünf Foto­blöcke, die jeweils durch Texte mit­einander ver­bunden sind. Den Anfang macht ein Rund­blick, der unter­schied­liche Themen in einzelnen Foto­grafien vorstellt. Das aller­erste Motiv zeigt Marmor­büsten an einer Mauer des alten jüdischen Fried­hofs in Frank­furt am Main, wen sie dar­stellen, ist nicht bekannt. Auf dem zweiten Motiv ist der jüdische Fried­hof in Worms zu sehen, einer der ältesten Europas. Beide Motive ver­deut­lichen die lange Tradition des Juden­tums in Deutsch­land und den großen Bruch durch den Holo­caust. 

Im Buch finden sich drei Motive mit direktem visuellen Bezug zum National­sozialismus. Alle drei befinden sich im ersten Foto­kapitel: Das erste zeigt den Unter­arm einer Frau mit einer ein­tätowierten Nummer des Kon­zentrations­lagers Auschwitz, das zweite ein Gebet­buch mit ein­gelegten Foto­grafien ermordeter Familien­ange­höriger, das dritte Holz­gitter über den Blut­gräben im ehe­maligen KZ Dachau. 

Der zweite Foto­block widmet sich religiösen Aspekten der jüdischen Gemein­schaft, darunter mehrere Auf­nahmen aus der polnischen Gebets­stube in Frank­furt, aber auch Bilder einer jüdischen Hoch­zeit oder einer Bar Mizwa. Als nächstes folgen Motive zu unter­schiedlichen Berufen, ein Stein­metz, ein Textil­fabrikant, zwei Auf­nahmen einer koscheren Schlächterei. Das vor­letzte Foto­kapitel zeigt bekannte Per­sönlich­keiten. Zum Schluss richtet Freed seinen Fokus auf junge Menschen, Kinder und Jugend­liche. Dieser Ab­schluss des Buches mit größten­teils offenen und freund­lichen Bildern unter­streicht den optimis­tischen Blick des Foto­grafen. Seine Bilder zeugen von Empathie, Sensi­bilität und Ernst­haftig­keit, aber kennen auch humor­volle Details.

Neben jüdischen Aspekten foto­grafiert Leonard Freed seit den frühen 1950er Jahren auch immer wieder andere Motive in Deutsch­land und führt diese 1970 in dem Buch Made in Germany zusammen. Freed ist fasziniert von den Deutschen und Deutsch­land und fragt in der Ein­leitung, wie das Land in 25 Jahren aus­sehen werde. Bemerkens­wert sind einzelne kleine Texte am Ende des umfang­reichen Bild­teils, die mit Trauma I bis IV über­schrieben sind und per­sönliche Ge­schichten und Er­fahrungen zu Vor­urteilen und Anti­semi­tismus aus Freeds Per­spektive wieder­geben.

Später schreibt Freed „Dass ich in den USA geboren bin, gibt mir, so glaube ich, eine eigene, frische Per­spektive, durch die mir Dinge auffallen, die der Durch­schnitts­deutsche über­sieht.“ (Fax von Leonard Freed an Ute Eskildsen, 1990; Leonard Freed Archiv). Dies gilt sicher­lich auch für seine Foto­grafien der Serie Deutsche Juden heute aus den 1960er Jahren.

Theresia Ziehe, Kuratorin für Fotografie und Kuratorin der Ausstellung

I (Don’t) Live in the Federal Republic

Black and white photograph: people dressed in festive outfits dancing; in the background is a stage decorated with two Israeli flags and a band playing.

Exhibition German Jews Today. Leonard Freed: Features & Programs

Exhibition Webpage
Current page: German Jews Today. Leonard Freed – 11 Nov 2024 to 27 Apr 2025, with all photos shown in the exhibition
Accompanying Events
Curator’s tour: Thu 23 Jan & 13 Feb & 13 & 27 Mar & 10 Apr 2025, 4 pm, in German
“German Jews Today” – a discussion from the 1960s – Panel discussion on 18 Mar 2025, in German
See also
Leonard Freed, Photographer
Leonard Freed’s photograph of Hugo Spiegel

Exhibition Information at a Glance

  • When 11 Nov 2024 to 27 Apr 2025
  • Entry Fee Free of charge. You can book tickets for a specific time slot online before your visit at our ticket shop, or in person at the ticket counter.
  • Where Libeskind Building, ground level, Eric F. Ross Galerie
    Lindenstraße 9–14, 10969 Berlin
    See Location on Map
Credits

Curators

Leonore Maier
Theresia Ziehe

Project Management

Daniel Ihde

Graphic Design

Team Mao, Berlin (Siyu Mao und Björn Giesecke)

Web Page

Dagmar Ganßloser

Marketing & Communikation

Sandra Hollmann

Marketing Campaign Design

bürominimal / Hanno Dannenfeld and Kristina Friske

Graphics Production

Fotoreklame Gesellschaft für Werbung FRG mbH

Art Handling and Exhibition Maintenance

Leitwerk Servicing

Translations

Jake Schneider
SprachUnion

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