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Everyday Life Before Everything Changed: 1980s Photos From East Germany, By Henk Kosche (16 Pics)

Everyday Life Before Everything Changed: 1980s Photos From East Germany, By Henk Kosche (16 Pics)

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All About Photo proudly presents Street Photography At The End Of The 80s by German photographer Henk Kosche — an evocative solo exhibition available online throughout July 2025.
For nearly 40 years, a small cardboard box of 35mm negatives quietly held images of life in Halle an der Saale, an industrial city in the former East Germany. Captured just before the fall of the Berlin Wall, Kosche’s black-and-white photographs reveal a world suspended between resilience and resignation, grit and beauty.
These rediscovered treasures bring to life a city cloaked in smoke from factories and power plants, where everyday moments tell stories of quiet strength amid uncertainty. Kosche’s lens offers an intimate glimpse into a society on the brink of monumental change — moments frozen before Western consumerism reshaped the urban landscape forever.
Discover these compelling images and the silent poetry of a transforming era — only on All About Photo this July.

#1 Walking The Cat, May 1988

Walking The Cat, May 1988
27points

Street Photography At The End Of The 80s is more than a nostalgic trip; it’s a poignant testament to photography’s power to preserve history’s unseen layers and reveal the extraordinary in the ordinary.

#2 Family At The Window, March 1989

Family At The Window, March 1989
18points

#3 Pensioner, February 1988

Pensioner, February 1988
18points

#4 Mobile Kiosk, September 1988

Mobile Kiosk, September 1988
17points

#5 Cyclist, November 1988

Cyclist, November 1988
15points

#6 Carnival Parade Of The Art Students, November 1988

Carnival Parade Of The Art Students, November 1988
14points

#7 Couple In Front Of The Department Store, March 1989

Couple In Front Of The Department Store, March 1989
13points

#8 They Have Weelbarrows, 1987

They Have Weelbarrows, 1987
13points

#9 Costume Party Of The Fashion Students, March 1989

Costume Party Of The Fashion Students, March 1989
12points

#10 At The Milcheck, February 1988

At The Milcheck, February 1988
12points

#11 Propaganda Material, May 1987

Propaganda Material, May 1987
12points

#12 Discussing The Job, October 1988

Discussing The Job, October 1988
12points

#13 Carpenter For Grave Furiture, May 1988

Carpenter For Grave Furiture, May 1988
10points

#14 Grosse Gosenstrasse, 1988

Grosse Gosenstrasse, 1988
8points

#15 Welding Job, October 1988

Welding Job, October 1988
8points

#16 Costume Party Of The Fashion Students, March 1989

Costume Party Of The Fashion Students, March 1989
5points
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