Hardly any other photographer documented the East Germans and their everyday experiences for so long, so intensely, and in so many respects as Roger Melis (1940 – 2009).
For three decades the co-founder and “Master of East German Photorealism” (Die Zeit) travelled far and wide across the GDR, a country that he often found “silent” and “ossified” under the rule of the SED. As a critical observer and chronicler, Melis captured the urban and rural lives of people in atmospherically dense, often symbolic photographs. His empathetic portraits and careful reportages create a complex picture of East Germans in the years between the construction and fall of the Berlin Wall.

Curated by Mathias Bertram, the exhibition is the most comprehensive retrospective of Roger Melis’ photographs of the GDR. The 160 images show not only classic photographs but also many previously unknown photographs from his estate.

Accompanying the exhibition, the publication »Roger Melis: The East Germans / Die Ostdeutschen« will be published by Lehmstedt Verlag, comprising reportages and portraits from the Roger Melis Estate. Furthermore, a new edition of the critically acclaimed photobook »Roger Melis: In a silent country / In einem stillen Land« will be published as well. Both publications will be available during the exhibition as a special edition, offered for 48 €, or separately for 28 € each.

An exhibition by the Reinbeckhallen Foundation in collaboration with Loock Galerie and the Roger Melis Archive.

Framework program

Curator’s Guided Tours with Mathias Bertram (held in German):
Sunday, Apr 14, 2019, 12 noon – fully booked
Thursday, May 16, 2019, 6 pm – fully booked
Saturday, May 25, 2019, 3 pm – fully booked
Saturday, June 1, 2019, 4 pm – fully booked
Saturday, July 13, 2019, 4 pm – fully booked
Sunday, July 28, 2019, 3 pm
12 € incl. admission | For max. 12 participants | Please register at
Further infos: www.facebook.com/roger.melis.archiv

Apr 12 — July 28, 2019
Opening Reception: Thursday, April 11, 7 pm
Framework program: please see above

Stiftung Reinbeckhallen

Reinbeckstraße 17, 12459 Berlin
[Oberschöneweide | Treptow-Köpenick]

Opening hours: Thu & Fri 4 – 8 pm, Sat & Sun 11 am – 8 pm

Admission: 5 € / reduced 3 €, free on Fridays