Themenführung: Der Treck – Fotografien einer Flucht 1945

In the organizer's words:

The special exhibition "The trek - photographs of an escape in 1945" documents the escape of a trek of 350 people from Lübchen (now Lubów) in Lower Silesia in January 1945, who fled from the approaching Red Army.

No other refugee trek in 1945 is so comprehensively documented - because photography during the escape was officially forbidden. The 140 or so photographs were taken by professional photographer Hanns Tschira and his assistant Martha Maria Schmackeit. Tschira's agency "Tschira's Bilderdienst/Eurofot" worked on behalf of the Reich Ministry for Popular Enlightenment and Propaganda from 1943 - he therefore had special powers.

The photographs provide an insight into the living conditions during the escape: on foot and in horse-drawn carts, in the middle of winter, with few belongings. They raise questions: who fled, who decided the route and time, what role did forced laborers play? How were supplies organized? The differences between various escape experiences are also addressed: The trek shown here got off comparatively lightly - others ended dramatically.

Selected photographs from the special exhibition provide an opportunity for joint reflection: What motifs did Hanns Tschira choose? To what extent can universal experiences of flight be recognized? What do the pictures not show?

And what happened next? With the Germans who once had to flee their homeland and with the village of Lübchen, which has been called Lubów for three generations. New photographs by Thomas Meyer, who followed the historical trek route in search of clues, illustrate this.

Further information

• Language: German
• Without registration
• Participation free of charge
• Further dates: October 05, November 02, November 16, December 07; each at 11:30 a.m.