Wirtschaftswunder

by Josef Heinrich Darchinger (Photographs), Frank Darchinger (Editor)

Germany after the war 1952 - 1967. It was no more than eight years after the surrender of the Nazi government when Josef Heinrich Darchinger set out on his photographic journey through the West of a divided Germany. The bombs of World War II had reduced the country's major cities to deserts of rubble. Yet his pictures show scarcely any signs of the downfall of a civilization. Not that the photographer was manipulating the evidence: he simply recorded what he saw. At the time, a New York travel agency was advertising the last opportunity to go and visit the remaining bomb sites. Darchinger's pictures, in color and black-and-white, show a country in a fever of reconstruction. The economic boom was so incredible that the whole world spoke of an "economic miracle." The people who achieved it, in contrast, look down-to-earth, unassuming, conscientious, and diligent. And increasingly, they look like strangers in the world they have created.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Photography

285 pages, Hardcover

First published July 1, 2008

Reviews

[Róbert Šedivý · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pred pár dňami som zavítal do antikvariátu Mutabor v berlínskej štvrti Prenzlauer Berg. Jeho ochotný majiteľ sa po mojom dopyte, či náhodou nemá nejakú knihu fotografií o Nemecku vzdialil, aby po chvíli priniesol predmetnú monografiu Wirtschaftswunder. Ja som nezaváhal a vzal som ju. A dobre som urobil.

[Vedran · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting throwback to older times. Some photographs in book have such a great value. I recommend it to all who like photography.

[Jane Riordan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A glimpse into the struggle of the civilian population of Germany, post war, as they rebuilt their lives and their country.

[cloudyskye · Rating 4 out of 5]

Slightly before my time, but still familiar - as a child of the mid-sixties I grew up in a world where democracy, liberty and prosperity were undisputed in (then) West Germany, with memories of WW II and some vague impression of fear and guilt always hovering in the background, as well as the terrifying words: "The Russians are coming!" - They didn't, PTL.
These beautiful but not sugarcoated photographs do a great job to reconstruct the vibe of those years. Can't help feeling a certain nostalgia ...
A great coffee table book for those interested in Germany and its (not-so-)recent history.

[Anneke Guns]

Dit boek verdient ongetwijfeld de volle vijf sterren voor de prachtige documentaire foto's en de vele historische details.
Ik maak toch enig voorbehoud wegens enerzijds de ongenuanceerde verheerlijking van het Wirtschaftswunder en anderzijds de enigszins laatdunkende houding tegenover Oost-Europa. In beide gevallen was enige nuance over de sociale impact en de maatschappelijke consequenties op zijn plaats geweest.