2021 for Historisches Museum Thurgau
Ladder trolley with drawbar for manual pull.
Boll, Switzerland, 2022
A teenager's room with Phalaensopsis.
2023 for Zürcher Kantonalbank
Swissmint supplies Switzerland with circulation coins for daily payment transactions on behalf of the Swiss Confederation.
Khan Yunis, Gaza Strip, 2017
A makeshift stuffed lion in the Khan Yunis Zoo, which was closed in 2014. The zoo opened in 2007, but because of the Gaza War and the related economic situation, the animals could no longer be sufficiently fed, many of them starved. Others were saved by Vier Pfoten, an animal protection organization, and brought abroad.
In another life; Cholpon Satibaeva, 45, Kyrgyzstan
“In another life, I would like to be a cat. My fur would be black, only my neck and paws would be white. As if I were wearing white gloves, socks and a scarf.
My cat had this coloring. She was free, did what she wanted and went where and when she wanted. I loved her very much and envied her independence. (FREEDOM!)”.
Hebron, West Bank, 2013
Roughly 800 religious settlers live in the historical center and thereby in the midst of the Palestinian population. Military infrastructure, such as walls, checkpoints, and also the massive and permanent presence of the army provide for the settlers’ safety.
Gaza City, Gaza Strip, 2017
Every year on May 15th, on the Day of Nakba (‹Catastrophe›), several activities are being held in the Palestinian territories to commemorate the expulsion of the Palestinians in 1948.
Beit Jala, West Bank, 2013
View of the stretch of Route 60 from Jerusalem to Hebron known as ‘Tunnel Street.’ Neuralgic stretches of road that cannot be led underground are encased in high wall sections for protection. This street opens access to the entire West Bank for the Jewish settlers and is therefore under special surveillance.
Shushi, unrecognized Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh, 2012
A Soviet World War II memorial: The gun holes are from the battle for Nagorno-Karabakh.
2022 for Kinderhilfe Bethlehem
Doctor’s round at the Caritas Baby Hospital in Bethlehem. It is the only hospital in the West Bank that cares exclusively for children.
Paris, France, 2014
At the stand of the Korean ammunitions manufacturer Poongsan at the ‹Eurosatory› arms fair. The company, a market leader since the early 1970s, manufactures not only ammunition for military purposes, but increasingly also for hunting and sports. Huge quantities are sold worldwide. Every other year the world’s largest arms show takes place in Paris.
Jenin, West Bank, 2015
A ‘Room in honor of the Martyrs’ is set up at the community center around the time of the Memorial Day for the Battle of Jenin. ‘Martyrs’ are called Muslims who die in defense of their land, family or property. In the narrower sense, Palestinians killed in conflict with Israel and suicide bombers. The Battle of Jenin took place in April 2002 during the Second Intifada in the Jenin refugee camp. The Israel Defense Forces destroyed parts of the camp with the intention of combatting the frequent suicide bombings at the time. Between fifty-two and fifty-four Palestinians and twenty-three Israeli soldiers were killed. After the battle, Yasser Arafat spoke of ‘Jeningrad’ with reference to Stalingrad.
2022 for Wochenzeitung WOZ
An employee of the South Korean ammunition manufacturer 'Poongsan Corporation' at his booth. For the first time after the pandemic, the world's largest arms fair 'Eurosatory' was held again in the north of Paris. From June 13 to 17, 2022, 57,000 people visited the fair, which this time was also marked by the special circumstances of the current Ukraine war.
Gaza City, Gaza Strip, 2016
The artist Abed al-Baset paints a war victim in the backyard of his home.
Sleptsovskaya, Ingushetia, Russian Federation, 2003
Outside of the Alina tent camp. Around 18,000 Chechens live as internally displaced persons in the four refugee camps Alina, Bela, Satzita, and Sputnik near the village of Sleptsovskaya.
2015 for Fastenopfer
Burkina Faso, Alga. At the artisanal gold mine Alga, Gold is being washed out of the grinded stones.
2024 for Luca Ehbets
Luca Ehbets, cook and photographer.
2022 for CSS
Cynthia Henry.
Gaza-City, Gaza Strip, 2017
People gather to demonstrate solidarity with Palestinians imprisoned in Israeli prisons. The prisoners are on a hunger strike. Photos of the inmates are displayed at the square. The hunger strike is one of the largest in years. The demands include access to telephones, more visiting rights, and better medical care. Currently, 6,500 Palestinians are being held in Israeli prisons. Many are denied the right to a trial.
Karabulak, Ingushetia, Russian Federation, 2003
MTF Refugee camp: the abbreviation stands for ‹dairy farm›. Founded in 1999, at the beginning of the Second Chechnya War, the refugees first lived in the former stalls of the kolkhoz. The camp was then expanded with homemade huts.
2022 for Kinderhilfe Bethlehem
The social worker of Caritas Baby Hospital during a visit outside the hospital to a family at home. The hospital is the only one in the West Bank that cares exclusively for children.
2022 for Wochenzeitung WOZ
At the booth of the American gun manufacturer 'Sig Sauer'. For the first time after the pandemic, the world's largest arms fair 'Eurosatory' was held again in the north of Paris. From June 13 to 17, 2022, 57,000 people visited the fair, which this time was also marked by the special circumstances of the current Ukraine war.
2023 for Kinderhilfe Bethlehem
Portrait of a patient at the Caritas Baby Hospital in Bethlehem. It is the only hospital in the West Bank that cares exclusively for children.
Negev Desert, Israel, 2016
Negev Desert, Israel. Training grounds of the Israeli Air Force. The army is one of the most modern in the world. Seventy percent of the Negev Desert are military training grounds.
ze’elim Army Base, near Kibbutz Tze’elim, Israel, 2017
A Caterpillar D9 bulldozer during an exercise at night. The bulldozer, specially adapted for the needs of the Israel Defense Forces, is also intended for use in urban areas. Its plating protects against mines and booby traps. During the Second Intifada, it also served to level buildings, for example, during the battles in Jenin.
Near Nitzana, Israel, 2017
Military shoes on an abandoned Israel Defense Forces base.
Volgograd (1925–1961 Stalingrad), Russian Federation, 2009
People are being photographed together with a picture of Stalin on the ‹Day of Victory› on May 9. Up till today, May 9 is one of the most important festive days in most of the states of the former Soviet Union; it recalls the victory over Hitler’s Germany in the ‹Great Patriotic War› as World War II is called. Some people adore Stalin for this victory.
2023 for Kinderhilfe Bethlehem
Market scene near Bethlehem in the West Bank.
Karabulak, Ingushetia, Russian Federation, 2003
Mobile market stand in the «Karer» refugee camp. Merchants drive their cars from camp to camp and offer clothing and other useful items.
Khuza’a, Gaza Strip, 2016
A mentally handicapped Palestinian in his partially destroyed house. Khuza’a is located very close to the border to Israel and has been heavily destroyed during the last war in 2014.
2015 for Fastenopfer
Burkina Faso, near Bakou. The industrial gold mine company Amara Mining stopped its activities and closed down the mine called Bakou. Nowadays artisanal miners are digging for gold.
Near Kibbutz Nahal Oz, Israel, 2015
At the turn-off for Kibbutz Nahal Oz, camouflage nets bear witness to the last Gaza War in 2014. Nahal Oz is in viewing distance from the Gaza Strip.
Volgograd (1925–1961 Stalingrad), Russian Federation, 2009
Pupils from the Volgograd Pedagogical Men’s Lyceum parade for the morning role call. The Men’s Lyceum serves to prepare young men for a job as a teacher, and is a state-recognized educational institute for the patriotic education of Russian citizens. Founder and reigning director of the Lyceum is the eighty-five-yearold war veteran Fyodor Slipzhenko.
Stepanakert, unrecognized Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh, 2012
On the day before the major military parade, a passerby with his children enthusiastically follows the tank that is being put into place for the parade. The parade on May 9 on Independence Square is considered a highlight.
Sleptsovskaya, Ingushetia, Russian Federation, 2003
Sputnik refugee camp: During the war, roughly 300,000 Chechens lived as internally displaced persons in various camps in the neighboring Republic of Ingushetia.
Near Jawne, Israel, 2015
The young men train until exhaustion in the sand dunes near Jawne, in order to prepare for the Israeli elite unit qualifying exam.
North of Kharbatha Bani Harith, West Bank, 2017
North of Kharbatha Bani Harith.
Volgograd (1925–1961 Stalingrad), Russian Federation, 2009
Model of the entirely destroyed city of Stalingrad in the State Museum “Battle of Stalingrad”. The battle of Stalingrad lasted from September 1942 until February 1943; more than 700,000 soldiers, mainly from the Red Army, were killed. The surrender of the Wehrmacht and their allies is considered the turning point in World War II.
2015 for Fastenopfer
Burkina Faso, Alga. A artisanal miner at the gold mine Alga is being lowered by his work colleagues turning on a rope winch into the unsecured approximate 100 meter deep tunnel.
2023 for Kinderhilfe Bethlehem
The father stands by his son during a painful treatment at the Caritas Baby Hospital in Bethlehem. It is the only hospital in the West Bank that cares exclusively for children.
2021 for IG Maultier
Load transport with mules to the SAC Treschhütte.
Volgograd (1925–1961 Stalingrad), Russian Federation, 2009
Fyodor Slipzhenko, eighty-five-year-old war veteran, founder and reigning director of the Volgograd Pedagogical Men’s Lyceum, where teachers-to-be are given a patriotic education.
2021 for UZH Magazin
Mira Menzfeld conducts research on Salafists.
2011 for Fastenopfer
Democratic Republic Of The Congo, between Kamatanda and Likasi. Two men are transporting heavy sacks filled with copper and cobalt ore by bike. The ore comes from the copper and artisanal cobalt mine of Kamatanda. In every rechargeable battery there is cobalt; about half the world-wide annual consumption of cobalt comes from the Congo and, in turn, about half of this is exploited in an artisanal manner.
2017 for Kinderhilfe Bethlehem
Kindergarden in Gaza.
2022 for Wochenzeitung WOZ
Media representatives and interested visitors during the presentation of the new main battle tank 'Panther KF51' of the German armament company 'Rheinmetall'. For the first time after the pandemic, the world's largest arms fair 'Eurosatory' was held again in the north of Paris. From June 13 to 17, 2022, 57,000 people visited the fair, which this time was also marked by the special circumstances of the current Ukraine war.
A teacher by conviction; Vahidreza Safi, 55, Iran
“I would like to be a good teacher because he can guide all children with his lessons and give them orientation. In Persian, they say: 'Being a teacher is not just a profession, but a sincere passion'.”
Sarzhal, Kazakhstan, 2010
Town sign for Sarzhal. The town is close to the former Polygon Semipalatinsk atomic testing grounds.
2022 for laut & leise – Magazin der Stellen für Suchtprävention im Kanton Zürich
Extract, which is produced from the dried flowers of the CBD hemp plant after a process lasting several hours in the CO2 extraction machine, is further processed into CBD products in the SwissExtract laboratory in Ried near Kerzers.
Stepanakert, unrecognized Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh, 2012
The day before the large military parade on May 9.
2024 for Kinderhilfe Bethlehem
In the maternity ward of the Caritas Baby Hospital, the caregiver does an exercise with a mother: she has to follow her instructions with her eyes closed and build trust. The hospital in Bethlehem is the only one in the West Bank that cares exclusively for children.
Karabulak, Ingushetia, Russian Federation, 2003
Chechens in the closed-down cement factory, which was set up as the Karer refugee camp for internally displaced persons. Ingushetia, the neighboring republic to Chechnya, absorbed roughly 300,000 internally displaced persons, which nearly doubled the country’s population.
Sleptsovskaya, Ingushetia, Russian Federation, 2003
A Chechen family leaves the Alina tent camp to return to Grozny, their fully destroyed hometown. The return is often forced: the refugee camps are no longer tolerated. Financial incentives, in the form of development aid, which is usually never paid, are also meant to promote their return.
Stepanakert, unrecognized Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh, 2012
Gravestone of a soldier at the Heroes’ Cemetery.
Southwest of Beersheba, Israel, 2013
A family celebrates the 65th anniversary of the founding of the State of Israel on Independence Day, Yom Ha’atzmaut, on the grounds of the Museum of the Israeli Airforce. The museum is located next to the Hatzerim Air Base in the Negev desert.
Karabulak, Ingushetia, Russian Federation, 2003
The Bart tent camp was founded in September 1999, at the beginning of the Second Chechen War, and was one of the first major refugee camps for internally displaced persons.
2024 for bref – Das Magazin der Reformierten
Rehearsal for ‹Das Grosse Welttheater› in a multi-purpose hall in Einsiedeln. Director Livio Andreina thanks the children for their commitment.
Snamenka, Kazakhstan, 2010
Berik Bostaev in his living room. Berik is handicapped, his mother was exposed to radiation when she was pregnant with him. The family lives near the Polygon Semipalatinsk atomic testing ground.
2021 for Historisches Museum Thurgau
Crank motor, 2 hp. Electric motors are suitable as universally applicable drive power for farm machinery of all kinds and accelerated mechanization.
2022 for Kinderhilfe Bethlehem
The Patriach of Jerusalem Pierbattista Pizzaballa blesses a boy during the Scouts' Christmas procession in the old town of Bethlehem in the West Bank.
Karabulak, Ingushetia, Russian Federation, 2003
A Chechen married couple at the entrance to their home. It is found in a closed-down cement factory, that was set up as a refugee camp for internally displaced persons under the name Karer.
Yeruham, Israel, 2017
Yeruham, Israel. Three roofs of guard towers piled up in one of Ackerstein Industries’ field warehouses. The company also manufactures concrete elements for the separation wall.
Kiev, Ukraine, 2007
On the Ukrainian Day of Independence, which since 1991 has been celebrated on August 24, a family visits the National Museum of the History of the Great Patriotic War 1941–1945. The museum in the plinth of the “Motherland Calls” statue is very popular. Seventy percent of the visitors are children and young people.
2011 for Fastenopfer
Democratic Republic Of The Congo, Kamatanda near Likasi. In the settlement of the artisanal copper and cobalt mine of Kamatanda. The dwellings are very simple: timber scaffoldings stringed with canvas. The amber canvas had been used during the past presidential elections for the polling stations.
Near Kibbutz Snir, Golan Heights, 2017
The wreck of the Syrian tank that remained on the shores of the Banyas at the end of the Six-Day War is a favorite destination for Sabbath outings. The tank was involved in the attack on the Kibbutz Dan, lost its way in the retreat, and crashed into the ravine.
2021 for Georg Utz AG
Fabio Di Giandomenico, apprentice at Georg Utz AG.
2024 for bref – Das Magazin der Reformierten
Rehearsal for ‹Das Grosse Welttheater› in a multi-purpose hall in Einsiedeln.
Kurchatov, Kazakhstan, 2010
The former KGB headquarters in the town named after ‹the father of the atomic bomb,› Igor Kurchatov. It was the administration and control center of the Polygon Semipalatinsk restricted area.
Jerusalem, Israel, 2017
Jerusalem, Israel. On the day before the Memorial Day for the Fallen Israeli Soldiers and Victims of Terrorism, Yom Hazikaron, army musicians prepare for a performance.
Near Halamish, West Bank, 2017
On Independence Day, Yom Ha’atzmaut, the army presents itself also in the areas of the Israeli settlers. In addition to a demonstration of weapons and tanks, medical corps soldiers show how to stop bleeding of a ruptured limb. The site of the presentation is close to the Jewish settlement Halamish and the Palestinian village Nabi Salih, which is known for its weekly protests against occupation and settlement.
2020 for Historisches Museum Thurgau
Hay saws, 1st half of the 20th century. These elegant devices came to Europe from America in the late 19th century. At some point, every farmer had one of these saws. They were used to cut out portions from the very compact haystacks.
2015 for Fastenopfer
Burkina Faso, Bissa. The newly built village Bissa whose inhabitants have been relocated. In the background the slag heap of the gold mine called Bissa. The former village Bissa was located close to the slag heap. It had to give way to the industrial gold mine, which is run by Nordgold.
2024 for bref – Das Magazin der Reformierten
Rehearsal for ‹Das Grosse Welttheater› in a multi-purpose hall in Einsiedeln.
Shushi, unrecognized Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh, 2011
A Soviet World War II memorial: The statue depicts four women who mourn the death of Red Army soldiers.
Sleptsovskaya, Ingushetia, Russian Federation, 2003
Kaipa Tashtamirova and her husband Garci Selmurcayev with four of her eleven children at the edge of the Sputnik tent camp. He lost his right leg in a work accident.
2022 for Wochenzeitung WOZ
At the booth of the South Korean defense company 'Hanwha Defense'. For the first time after the pandemic, the world's largest arms fair 'Eurosatory' was held again in the north of Paris. From June 13 to 17, 2022, 57,000 people visited the fair, which this time was also marked by the special circumstances of the current Ukraine war.
Ben Gurion Airport, Israel, 2017
Dress rehearsal for a visit from American president Donald Trump. Trump’s statements in preparation for his first journey abroad, which will take him to Israel and Bethlehem, that is, to the occupied territory, stir great expectations: Trump, upon hearing that the mediation of a peace accord is possibly the most difficult task of all, says, ‘Let’s see if we can prove the opposite, OK?’ On December 6, 2017, the USA recognized Jerusalem as the Israeli capital, which led to fierce protests, a number of injured persons, and several deaths in the region.
Paris, France, 2014
At the stand of the Belgian arms companies Fabrique Nationale, headquartered in Herstal near Luettich. Since its foundation in 1889, the company has mainly produced weapons for the police and military, among others, for the German Wehrmacht during the Second World War. Every other year the world’s largest arms show takes place in Paris: the ‹Eurosatory›.
2011 for Fastenopfer
Democratic Republic Of The Congo, near Kakanda. An artisanal miner in a gold mine smoking a cigarette during a short rest. The artisanal gold mine of Kakonde is located on the river bank of the Kimpese river near the village Kakanda.
Volgograd (1925–1961 Stalingrad), Russian Federation, 2009
On May 9, the Day of Victory, visitors take photos together with the honorary guard of the Russian army in the Hall of War Fame.
Stepanakert, unrecognized Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh, 2012
Karlem Arakilian, born in 1988, has to have his prosthetic leg refitted at the orthopedic center. The center specializes in making prostheses and their recurring fitting. For the most part, the patients are victims of mines and war. On May 3, 2010, Karlem was with cows on a field near his hometown Arakul when he stepped on a mine. He knew that the area was not yet demined.
Volgograd (1925–1961 Stalingrad), Russian Federation, 2009
Josef Stalin in his office. The wax figure is found in the Stalin Museum, which opened in 2006. The dictator, who died in 1953, divides Russian society until today. The one side worships him as victor over the national socialists; the other sees him as a dictator. The discussion comes up again and again of whether Volgograd should again be renamed Stalingrad.
2011 for Fastenopfer
Democratic Republic Of The Congo, Kamatanda near Likasi. A miner is holding copper ore in his hand in the artisanal cobalt and copper mine of Kamatanda. In every rechargeable battery there is cobalt; about half the world-wide annual consumption of cobalt comes from the Congo and, in turn, about half of this is exploited in an artisanal manner.
2024 for bref – Das Magazin der Reformierten
Rehearsal for ‹Das Grosse Welttheater› in a multi-purpose hall in Einsiedeln.
Moscow, Russian Federation, 2003
A displaced Chechen found accommodation with an older Russian woman. In the one-room-apartment, roughly fifteen Chechens live free of charge, but have promised to take care of the old woman.
2022 for Reportagen
Daniel Puntas Bernet, editor-in-chief of Reportagen magazine.
Volgograd (1925–1961 Stalingrad), Russian Federation, 2009
War veteran in front of a diorama in the State Museum “Battle of Stalingrad.” They were given the flowers to pay reverence for their engagement.
2023 for bref – Das Magazin der Reformierten
Tobias Adam, a religious climate activist.
2020 for Seraina Sattler and Anna Six
Lilian Köchli. She lost her parents in the guerrilla war, was kidnapped by soldiers and adopted in Switzerland at the age of eight. For a long time, she was not interested in her childhood – until she had to. (Introduction to the portrait in the book Anders Aufgewachsen by Seraina Sattler and Anna Six).
2024 for bref – Das Magazin der Reformierten
Rehearsal for ‹Das Grosse Welttheater› in a multi-purpose hall in Einsiedeln.
2021 for Schaffhauser Meisterkurse
Werner Bärtschi gives a lecture in the Kirche St. Johann in Schaffhausen.
2015 for Fastenopfer
Burkina Faso, Alga. Drinking break during the dusty work at the artisanal gold mine Alga: workers grind the stones by means of motorized mills. Later on the gold will be washed out of it.
Near Askeran, unrecognized Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh, 2011
The remains of war on the military training grounds.
2023 for CSS
Claire Neuhaus with pet.
Khurem Sultan; Roksolana (artist's name), 46, Ukraine
“I want to be like Khurem Sultan. She was a strong woman who did not lose the willpower to go on living in exile. She learned the language and became a strong ruler. No matter what happens in the world, you have yourself. Cherish yourself and have self-confidence!”
2022 for Wochenzeitung WOZ
Overview from the main entrance to hall 6 of the armament fair. Prominent in the foreground the tanks of the Turkish manufacturer 'Otokar'. For the first time after the pandemic, the world's largest arms fair 'Eurosatory' was held again in the north of Paris. From June 13 to 17, 2022, 57,000 people visited the fair, which this time was also marked by the special circumstances of the current Ukraine war.
Sleptsovskaya, Ingushetia, Russian Federation, 2003
Mathematic classes in the Sputnik tent camp. The Chechens attempt to provide their children with a nearly normal everyday life, even as internally displaced persons.
2021 for Schaffhauser Meisterkurse
Violinist Matthias Enderle giving a lecture.
Pnei Kedem, West Bank, 2017
Jewish settlers build an eco-house. Pnei Kedem is an outpost of the Gush Etzion settlement bloc. Roughly 400,000 Israeli settlers live in the West Bank, a further 200,000 in annexed East Jerusalem. The United Nations (UN) considers all Jewish settlements in territories captured by Israel in the Six-Day War as illegal in accordance with the Fourth Geneva Convention.
2022 for CSS
Front line between the unrecognized Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh and Azerbaijan, 2011
Eighteen-year old Aram has served as a soldier in the Nagorno-Karabakh army for half a year. Part of the two-year military basic training includes being stationed on the front line at times. Since the calling of a ceasefire in 1994, the enemy armies oppose one another from a short distance away here. Nonetheless, there are continual skirmishes in which soldiers on both sides are killed.
Volgograd (1925–1961 Stalingrad), Russian Federation, 2009
At the Federal Center for Supplemental Education for Children, Guard Post No. 1, children sing patriotic songs.
2020 for Historisches Museum Thurgau
"Dengelmaschine". Self-built by a farmer from Münchwilen TG using a washing machine motor, various scrap parts and a “Töffli” saddle.
De Lier, Netherlands, 2023
Greenhouses of the Dutch Phalaenopsis producer Sion with a high degree of automation.
Gaza City, Shejaiya, Gaza Strip, 2017
On the fringes of Shejaiya, near the closed Nahal-Oz border crossing to Israel, is an industrial zone where rubble is ground to gravel and sand. Metal is gathered from the concrete bits and recycled. Some of the rubble is still from the last Gaza War in 2014. Shortly after the war, the facility operated at full speed. Building materials are valuable commodities as a result of import controls imposed by Israel and Egypt in the Gaza Strip.
Astana, Kazakhstan, 2010
View of the modern city center from the glass ball on the Baiterek tower. On the top of the tower is a gold-toned glass ball. It stands for the egg, which according to a Kazakh legend, the holy bird Samruk lay in the crown of a huge tree of life.
2015 for Fastenopfer
Burkina Faso, Alga. Many of the 20,000 miners of the artisanal gold mine Alga are minor.
2022 for Kinderhilfe Bethlehem
The Caritas Baby Hospital in Bethlehem. It is the only hospital in the West Bank that cares exclusively for children.
2011 for Fastenopfer
Democratic Republic Of The Congo, Kamatanda near Likasi. An artisanal miner starting his shift in the cobalt and copper mine of Kamatanda. Numerous holes are leading into the depth. Like spiders young men are clambering down into earth-holes up to 40 meters deep, without ladders, without safeguarding and without any help whatsoever. Like moles they are digging their way through the soil in order to reach the valuable mineral ores which contain copper or cobalt. In every rechargeable battery there is cobalt; about half the world-wide annual consumption of cobalt comes from the Congo and, in turn, about half of this is exploited in an artisanal manner.
2023 for Historisches Museum Thurgau
Stamp box from the Sigg company, probably 1940s. 265 different stamps in black, gray, yellow and red. In most cases, the names on the stamps belong to US Navy or Coast Guard ships as well as amusement parks, ski resorts and universities in the USA. The Sigg aluminum factory produced wall plates as souvenirs and sent them all over the world. The wall plates were packed in cardboard sleeves at the factory and marked with a corresponding stamp on the front.
Sleptsovskaya, Ingushetia, Russian Federation, 2003
Internally displaced Chechens in the Sputnik tent camp.
2018 for UZH Alumni
In the Library of the Faculty of Law of the University of Zurich.
2020 for Historisches Museum Thurgau
Beet seed drill, 3rd quarter of the 19th century. The idea for this innovative seed drill came from England, where it already existed in the 18th century. This ingenious pioneering device was copied in Switzerland: the wheel used belts to drive a drum with holes that contained the seeds. The seeds fell through the tube into the soil and were pressed down by the small wheel. The hook at the front was used for a person (woman or child) to pull the seeds in poor soil conditions.
2022 for Kinderhilfe Bethlehem
During the doctors' round at Caritas Baby Hospital, the head doctor jokes with a little patient. The hospital in Bethlehem is the only one in the West Bank that cares exclusively for children.
2024 for Annika
Annika on her first day of kindergarten.
2024 for bref – Das Magazin der Reformierten
Rehearsal for ‹Das Grosse Welttheater› in a multi-purpose hall in Einsiedeln.
Volgograd (1925–1961 Stalingrad), Russian Federation, 2009
Preparation of the military review in front of the hotel Volgograd two days before the ‹Day of Victory› on May 9. Up till today, May 9 is one of the most important festive days in most of the states of the former Soviet Union; it recalls the victory over Hitler’s Germany in the ‹Great Patriotic War› as World War II is called.
Bil’in, West Bank, 2014
Every Friday after prayers Palestinians demonstrate in Bil’in and other places on the West Bank against the building of the wall and against the occupation. Usually the protest march is swiftly stopped by an Israeli Army contingent. Then an unequal struggle begins: stones against tear gas, rubber bullets and sometimes even live bullets. People are often injured and sometimes even killed. In the background: the wall, and behind it the largest Jewish settlement on the West Bank, Modi’in Illit.
2011 for Fastenopfer
Democratic Republic Of The Congo, Kamatanda near Likasi. A miner in the artisanal cobalt and copper mine of Kamatanda. In every rechargeable battery there is cobalt; about half the world-wide annual consumption of cobalt comes from the Congo and, in turn, about half of this is exploited in an artisanal manner.
Kiev, Ukraine, 2007
One of the fourteen large halls in the National Museum of the History of the Great Patriotic War 1941–1945. The museum in the plinth of the “Motherland Calls” statue is very popular. Seventy percent of the visitors are children and young people.
Karabulak, Ingushetia, Russian Federation, 2003
A Chechen sells farmer’s cheese and cream cheese at the MTF refugee camp for internally displaced Chechens. She drives her car from camp to camp.
Sderot, Israel, 2014
A few remains of rockets that were fired from the Gaza Strip are stored at the police station. Due to its location near the border, Sderot is constantly exposed to attacks. The increase in rocket fire was one of the catalysts of the Israel Defense Forces’ military operation in 2014: Operation Protective Edge. Sderot was founded in 1951 on land belonging to the Palestinian village Najd, whose inhabitants had fled to the Gaza Strip in 1948.
Kurchatov, Kazakhstan, 2010
A control center for the Soviet Union’s nuclear testing is currently exhibited in the Atomic Testing Museum in the former secret and closed city of Kurchatov.
2011 for Fastenopfer
Democratic Republic Of The Congo, Lubumbashi. The slag heap of the former state mine company Gécamines is the landmark of Lubumbashi, the second largest town of the Congo. Because of the further development of technology, the former waste now is very valuable. Because of the further development of technology, the former waste now is very valuable. Thanks to the most modern technology it’s possible to extract a product out of the waste, that contains cobalt. The product, the so called white alloy will be exported to Finland, where the cobalt will be extracted out of it.
Shushi, unrecognized Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh, 2011
In Shushi, several ruins remain as evidence of the war. The city was considered an example of the peaceful cohabitation of Shiite Azerbaijani and Christian Armenians. Currently, no Azerbaijani live in Nagorno-Karabakh.
Kiev, Ukraine, 2007
Room number 14 of the National Museum of the History of the Great Patriotic War 1941–1945 is dedicated to commemorating the victims of the war. The Soviet Union, with around 27 million war victims, mourns the greatest number of dead, of which eight to ten million were Ukrainians.
Salfit, West Bank, 2015
A Palestinian is searching in the open dump for metal that he can sell.
2021 for Schaffhausen Masterclasses
Main rehearsal of the pianist Grigori Sokolow in the church of St. Johann, Schaffhausen.
Zurich, Switzerland, 2023
Part number 4 of the Lego kit from the Botanical Collection, Orchid. The kit consists of 608 parts.
2024 for bref – Das Magazin der Reformierten
Rehearsal for ‹Das Grosse Welttheater› in a multi-purpose hall in Einsiedeln.
2022 for Wochenzeitung WOZ
Presentation of the Swedish manufacturer 'Aimpoint AM' for rifle sights. For the first time after the pandemic, the world's largest arms fair 'Eurosatory' was held again in the north of Paris. From June 13 to 17, 2022, 57,000 people visited the fair, which this time was also marked by the special circumstances of the current Ukraine war.
Semipalatinsk (since 2007 Semey), Kazakhstan, 2010
Seven-month-old Dina Batirova is taken care of in the orphanage. She suffers from hydrocephalus and will probably not live very long. Her parents abandoned her at birth. Until today, countless children with severe handicaps are born here. Between 1949 and 1989, 456 atomic bombs were ignited there.
Stepanakert, unrecognized Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh, 2012
After the military parade of the Nagorno-Karabakh army on May 9, civilians can have the soldiers show them the various weapons. The most important memorial day and holiday of the self-proclaimed state commemorates the victory over Nazi Germany, the founding of the Nagorno-Karabakh army, and the liberation of Shushi, a strategically important city.
Sleptsovskaya, Ingushetia, Russian Federation, 2003
Sputnik refugee camp: During the war, roughly 300,000 Chechens lived as internally displaced persons in various camps in the neighboring Republic of Ingushetia.
Hebron, West Bank, 2017
Jewish settlers celebrate Purim holiday in Hebron. Purim is a joyful festival. People dress up in costumes and the drinks flow. The celebration is of the Persian Jews in the biblical era. At the time, Queen Esther was able to protect the Jewish people in the Persian Empire from annihilation. Roughly 800 religious settlers live in the historical center of Hebron, and thereby in the midst of the Palestinian population. Military infrastructure, such as walls, checkpoints, and also the massive and permanent presence of the army provide for the settlers’ safety.
Grozny, Chechnya, Russian Federation, 2003
Housewives’ everyday routine includes fetching water in plastic buckets because there is no longer any water supply in the residential homes of the entirely destroyed capital.
Hebron, West Bank, 2013
A soldier of the Israel Defense Forces observes Palestinians walking by on Shuhada Street, on the side of the street assigned to them, to the right of the little wall. Roughly 800 religious settlers live in the historical center of Hebron, and thereby in the midst of the Palestinian population. Military infrastructure, such as walls, checkpoints, and also the massive and permanent presence of the army provide for the settlers’ safety.
Nazran, Ingushetia, Russian Federation, 2003
In the Café Tansila refugee camp for internally displaced Chechens, which is set up in a closed-down factory.
A well-known star; José Godoi Da Costa, 48, Brazil
“I want to be a very well-known artist. As an artist, I think I have all the freedom in the broadest sense to wear extraordinary clothes. I don't want to follow convention, I want to express my sense of freedom with the way I dress. My life would be a permanent performance.”
2011 for Fastenopfer
Democratic Republic Of The Congo, Kamatanda near Likasi. An artisanal miner starting his shift in the cobalt and copper mine of Kamatanda. Numerous holes are leading into the depth. Like spiders young men are clambering down into earth-holes up to 40 meters deep, without ladders, without safeguarding and without any help whatsoever. Like moles they are digging their way through the soil in order to reach the valuable mineral ores which contain copper or cobalt. In every rechargeable battery there is cobalt; about half the world-wide annual consumption of cobalt comes from the Congo and, in turn, about half of this is exploited in an artisanal manner.
2022 for Wochenzeitung WOZ
The booth of the American company 'Michigan Economic Development' in the morning before the big audience rush. For the first time after the pandemic, the world's largest arms fair 'Eurosatory' was held again in the north of Paris. From June 13 to 17, 2022, 57,000 people visited the fair, which this time was also marked by the special circumstances of the current Ukraine war.
Sleptsovskaya, Ingushetia, Russian Federation, 2003
The Chechen Ibragim Chapulajev in his self-built house in the Sputnik refugee camp.
Beltring, Kent, England, 2009
Re-enactors in the Russian uniform of WWII and the Russian tank T-34. Each year in July the War & Peace Show takes place in the county of Kent in southern England. This is a large Living History Event whereby plays re-enacting World War II are particularly popular. People who cultivate such a hobby call themselves re-enactors, and allegedly it is their greatest concern to make history tangible for others and thereby to sharpen their consciousness for the horrors of war.
2016 for School of Management Fribourg
Karabulak, Ingushetia, Russian Federation, 2003
MTF refugee camp: the abbreviation stands for ‹dairy farm.› Founded in 1999, at the beginning of the Second Chechen War, the refugees first lived in the kolkhoz’s former stalls. The camp was then expanded with homemade huts.
Shushi, unrecognized Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh, 2011
The Ghazanchetsots Cathedral, also called ‹Church of the Savior,› is now one of Shushi’s landmarks. In the Soviet Era, it was used as a stall. The city’s current inhabitants say that during the occupation of the city by the Azerbaijani, it was additionally misused as a munitions depot. The Armenians would clearly never destroy their church. On May 9, 1992, the Armenians captured the strategically crucial city. The city was once seen as an example of the peaceful co-existence of Shiite Azerbaijani and Christian Armenians. Today, no Azerbaijani live in Nagorno-Karabakh, and the two mosques are falling to ruins
2023 for Kinderhilfe Bethlehem
Mother and patient in the outside area of the playroom at Caritas Baby Hospital in Bethlehem. It is the only hospital in the West Bank that cares exclusively for children.
2021 for Schaffhauser Meisterkurse
Pianist Lukas Moser and his sister Sarah Moser have fun during a lesson.
Kiev, Ukraine, 2007
In front of the memorial for the Red Army’s heroes. It belongs to the memorial complex of the National Museum of the History of the Great Patriotic War 1941–1945.
2022 for Kinderhilfe Bethlehem
Male nurse with patient in the Caritas Baby Hospital in Bethlehem. It is the only hospital in the West Bank that cares exclusively for children.
Nabi Salih, West Bank, 2013
This Palestinian boy has just taken part in a demonstration. Since 2009, the inhabitants of Nabi Salih have marched every Friday to one of the wells occupied by Jewish settlers from Halamisch. They are then quickly stopped by the Israeli Army. Then an unequal struggle begins: stones against tear gas, rubber bullets and sometimes even live bullets. People are often injured and sometimes even killed.
Bethlehem, West Bank, 2014
A funeral ceremony to honor the young suicide bombers Ayat al-Akhras and Daoud Abu Swayy. The young man and woman both detonated themselves in 2002 in West Jerusalem, Rachel Levy and Haim Smadar were murdered. Twelve years later, Israel returned the assassins’ mortal remains to the Palestinians. Ayat, in particular, is considered a hero as she is one of the few women suicide bombers.
Havat Ma’on, Outpost of Ma’on, West Bank, 2015
An Israeli entomologist studies the biodiversity in the territory of the outpost settlement Havat Ma’on. The southern Hebron Hills belong to Zone C, and are thus entirely under Israeli control; problems constantly arise between the settlers and the Palestinians. The United Nations (UN) considers all Jewish settlements in the territories that Israel captured in the Six-Day War to be illegal according to the Fourth Geneva Convention. Even Israel considers the outposts illegal, but nonetheless protects them with the army.
2021 for Historisches Museum Thurgau
Linen weaving loom.
Near Rafah, Gaza Strip, 2016
Palestinian women are enjoying the beach.
Paris, France, 2014
Representatives of the armaments concern Rheinmetall AG, headquartered in Duesseldorf, meet a military delegation from Algeria at the ‹Eurosatory› arms fair. Every other year the world’s largest arms show takes place in Paris.
Stepanakert, unrecognized Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh, 2011
Ludmilla Grigorian is a veteran of the Nagorno-Karabakh War. During the war she was head of the field hospital. In 1992 her husband died in the war, she was wounded in her home.
Sleptsovskaya, Ingushetia, Russian Federation, 2003
Young Chechen refugees in the Sputnik tent camp watch an airplane.
On the former Polygon Semipalatinsk nuclear weapons testing grounds, Kazakhstan, 2010
Remains of measuring stations, which were built at regular intervals around the epicenter of the aboveground atomic bomb tests.
Shushi, unrecognized Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh, 2011
A woman gathers flowers in a war ruin. In Shushi even today many ruins still give evidence of the war. Formerly, Shushi was a symbol of peaceful cohabitation of two cultures, those of the Shiite Azeris on the one side and the Christian Armenians on the other. Today, only the two unused mosques give evidence of that time. The separation of the two folk groups is now absolutely perfect. On May 9, 1992 the strategically important town was captured by the Armenians.
Sleptsovskaya, Ingushetia, Russian Federation, 2003
In Sputnik, a camp of tents and huts for internally displaced Chechens.
Herzlberg, Jerusalem, Israel, 2013
Preparations for a ceremony marking the 65th anniversary of the foundation of the State of Israel.
Jenin, West Bank, 2017
In the closed Museum for the Cultural Heritage of Palestine there is a section devoted to the suffering of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli prisons. In creating the depiction, curator Sultan Sadi relied on reports from former inmates. The exhibited clothing had been smuggled out by prisoners. Countless Palestinians have been imprisoned in Israeli prisons; currently 6,500 are being held. The Day of Prisoners takes place every year on April 17th. Diverse actions take place in the Palestinian territories to draw attention to the problem.
The role model; Yaya Baldeh, 30, Gambia
“I dream of being a role model for many and setting up a farm. My family are farmers, we have large fields and lots of animals: sheep, cows, goats, chickens and rabbits. We grow peanuts, millet, watermelon and vegetables in our fields. I would like to continue that. I believe that agriculture is the key to a free Africa, because who feeds you shows you where to go. Together we can fight hunger through agriculture.”
2024 for Verlag Hier und Jetzt
The historian Elisabeth Joris, a pioneer of women's and gender history in Switzerland.
Semipalatinsk (since 2007 Semey), Kazakhstan, 2010
Nikita Bochkarev uses the computer keys by means of a helmet that his father has constructed for him. Nikita was born in 1991 with cerebral palsy and cannot speak although he has normal intelligence. His most important access to the world is via the computer. Between 1949 and 1989, 456 atomic bombs were ignited there. Serious illnesses and handicaps are extremely common in the region until today.
Near Kfar Tabor, Israel, 2015
Many young Israelis strive to serve their military duty in an elite unit of the Israel Defense Forces, at all costs. They participate in private preparatory courses in order to train for the rigorous qualifying exam. At Kadoori Agricultural High School, students practice combat readiness and for the capture of a building.
Zurich, Switzerland, 2023
Part number 1 of the Lego kit from the Botanical Collection, Orchid. The kit consists of 608 parts.
2015 for Fastenopfer
Burkina Faso, Alga. At the artisanal gold mine Alga Gold is being washed out of the grinded stones. At the end of a labor-intensive and dangerous process, only a tiny little bit of gold is remaining.
2022 for laut & leise – Magazin der Stellen für Suchtprävention im Kanton Zürich
Dried CBD cannabis flowers ready for further processing at the SwissExtract company in Ried near Kerzers.
Beltring, Kent, England, 2009
Re-enactors in the American uniform of WWII. Each year in July the War & Peace Show takes place in the county of Kent in southern England. This is a large Living History Event whereby plays re-enacting World War II are particularly popular. People who cultivate such a hobby call themselves re-enactors, and allegedly it is their greatest concern to make history tangible for others and thereby to sharpen their consciousness for the horrors of war.
2022 for Kinderhilfe Bethlehem
Honey Thaljieh, Communications Special Projects Manager at FIFA and the Co-Founder of Women’s Football in Palestine at FIFA in Zurich. Honey is originally from Bethlehem, Palestine.
Mainau Island, Germany, 2023
Orchid show in the Palm House on Mainau Island.
2023 for Igor Schade
Igor Schade, game designer.
Jenin, West Bank, 2015
A poster of the martyr Mohammed Abu el-Hija in the living room of the family Abu el-Hija. Mohammed was a leader of the Al Aksa Brigades and was killed in 2007.
2024 for bref – Das Magazin der Reformierten
Rehearsal for ‹Das Grosse Welttheater› in a multi-purpose hall in Einsiedeln.
Zurich, Switzerland, 2025
Litter garbage can for green waste collection in the city of Zurich with Phalaenopis.
Dolon, Kazakhstan, 2010
Alexander, born in 1958, is mentally disabled. He is reliant on the help of others for everything. His mother, Ludmila Shakhvorostova, has two sons who are both seriously ill due to the effects of nuclear weapons testing. Both have remained at the level of a small child in their mental development.
Stepanakert, unrecognized Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh, 2011
The memorial erected in 1967 ‹We are our mountains›, is commonly called ‹Grandma and Grandpa.› In the Nagorno-Karabakh independence movement it became a symbol for the entire region.
2022 for Denise Schmid
Denise Schmid is a publisher and member of the management board at the Verlag Hier und Jetzt.
Semipalatinsk (since 2007 Semey), Kazakhstan, 2010
In the former Soviet Union, every occupation had its own holiday. Even today, railroad workers still celebrate their festival on July 31.
2024 for Solidara Zürich
André at Café Yucca, a place where everyone gets a free soup.
2020 for Historisches Museum Thurgau
"Pfahlramme", 2nd half of the 19th century. Two to four men lifted the device and lowered it onto the pole to be driven in.
The master of cuisine; Fiona Ishimwe, 26, Burundi
“I want to become a master of cuisine because cooking is my hobby and I love delicious food (my mother is very good at cooking!). My favorite food is green bananas and vegetables with lots of spinach, eggplant and tomatoes. One day I would like to open a restaurant, first one and then several. This would result in the restaurant chain Fiona's Restaurant...”
2023 for Liberty Specialty Markets
Team photo first part.
2025 for Historisches Museum Thurgau
Penny-farthing, mid 19th century.
2024 for bref – Das Magazin der Reformierten
Rehearsal for ‹Das Grosse Welttheater› in a multi-purpose hall in Einsiedeln.
On the road to Shushi, unrecognized Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh, 2012
The T-72 tank was used by the Armenians in 1992 during the capture of Shushi and is set up as a memorial.
Between Biddo and Al Jeeb, West Bank, 2013
The walled-in highway linking the Palestinian villages of Biddo and Al Jeeb is a striking example of the strict separation of the arterial roads of the Palestinians and the Israelis. Part of the highway runs through a tunnel, above which is the highway linking the Jewish settlements of Givon and Har Shmuel.
Paris, France, 2014
Talking shop after deployment in one of the daily live-demonstrations at the ‹Eurosatory› arms fair. Every other year the world’s largest arms show takes place in Paris.
East of Hura, Umm al-Hiran, Israel, 2017
Remains of the recently destroyed Bedouin village Umm al-Hiran. The village, founded in 1956, is one of 35 Israeli Bedouin villages that are not recognized by Israel, and therefore have been demolished, in part, repeatedly, by the authorities.
My night dream; Valeriia Sverlovych, 21, Ukraine
“My favorite authors and characters in literature come from the 19th century. Sometimes they appear as images in my night dreams. And I like that. So I wanted to bring these images to life. It would be very interesting to see myself living in them. And perhaps the costume of a 19th century lady will help me to better understand the whims of the authors.”
Bethlehem, West Bank, 2014
A funeral ceremony to honor the young suicide bombers Ayat al-Akhras and Daoud Abu Swayy. The young man and woman both detonated themselves in 2002 in West Jerusalem, Rachel Levy and Haim Smadar were murdered. Twelve years later, Israel returned the assassins’ mortal remains to the Palestinians. Ayat, in particular, is considered a hero as she is one of the few women suicide bombers.
2023 for Zürcher Kantonalbank
In the trading room in Zurich.
2022 for laut & leise – Magazin der Stellen für Suchtprävention im Kanton Zürich
Young cannabis plants in the greenhouses of the company SwissExtract in Ried near Kerzers.
2011 for Fastenopfer
Democratic Republic Of The Congo, Kamatanda near Likasi. One of the numerous holes in the artisanal cobalt and copper mine of Kamatanda. The entry is stabilized with sacks because of the danger of collapse, especially during the rainy season. In every rechargeable battery there is cobalt; about half the world-wide annual consumption of cobalt comes from the Congo and, in turn, about half of this is exploited in an artisanal manner.
2011 for Fastenopfer
Democratic Republic Of The Congo, Kamatanda near Likasi. An artisanal miner in the copper and cobalt mine of Kamatanda is carrying heavy sacks filled with the ore. In every rechargeable battery there is cobalt; about half the world-wide annual consumption of cobalt comes from the Congo and, in turn, about half of this is exploited in an artisanal manner.
2021 for Georg Utz AG
Production at the factory in Bremgarten.
2022 for Kantonsschule Hohe Promenade
Close to Snamenka, Kazakhstan, 2010
On the edge of the former Polygon Semipatinsk atomic testing grounds, which comprises around 19,000 square kilometers. Nonetheless, an area of 300,000 square kilometers has been contaminated. The former grounds are neither fenced in nor specially marked, and are thus freely accessible for animals and humans.
Sarzhal, Kazakhstan, 2010
Sandugash Imangalieva in her home. She was born in 1950 in Sarzhal, which is close to the former Soviet nuclear weapons testing grounds. Between 1949 and 1989, 456 atomic bombs were ignited there. Serious illnesses and handicaps are extremely common in the region until today.
2022 for Wochenzeitung WOZ
Booth of the Indian armor group 'SMPP PVR. LTD. (SM Carapace Armor)' in the morning before the large audience rush. For the first time after the pandemic, the world's largest arms fair 'Eurosatory' was held again in the north of Paris. From June 13 to 17, 2022, 57,000 people visited the fair, which this time was also marked by the special circumstances of the current Ukraine war.
Nor Jraberd, unrecognized Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh, 2011
The word ‹Nor› means ’new.› The ‹old› Jraberd is found several kilometers away, directly on the current front. In Nor Jraberd, Armenians have settled in the ruins of Azerbaijani houses.
Gaza City, Gaza Strip, 2017
Palestinian fighters pray on the occasion of the funeral for the martyr Muhammad Majid Bakr. The young fisherman had been shot the previous day, on the Day of Nakba, by the Israel Defense Forces. The Day of Nakba (‘Catastrophe’) commemorates the expulsion of the Palestinians in 1948. According to information from the army, the fishing boat was outside of the fishing zone allowed by Israel. The fishermen did not react to shots fired into the air, shots were subsequently fired at the boat.
2022 for laut & leise – Magazin der Stellen für Suchtprävention im Kanton Zürich
CBD cannabis field of the company SwissExtract in Ried near Kerzers.
Tel Aviv, Israel, 2015
One hall of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) History Museum.
A wise king; Arnaud (artist's name), 34, Burundi
“In my dream I am a king because I like the king's clothes and as a king I can put things in order and find solutions to problems in my kingdom.”
Beltring, Kent, England, 2009
Man driving his mock tank. Each year in July the War & Peace Show takes place in the county of Kent in southern England. This is a large Living History Event whereby plays re-enacting World War II are particularly popular. People who cultivate such a hobby call themselves re-enactors, and allegedly it is their greatest concern to make history tangible for others and thereby to sharpen their consciousness for the horrors of war.
2011 for Fastenopfer
Democratic Republic Of The Congo, Kamatanda near Likasi. A miner in the artisanal cobalt and copper mine of Kamatanda. In every rechargeable battery there is cobalt; about half the world-wide annual consumption of cobalt comes from the Congo and, in turn, about half of this is exploited in an artisanal manner.
2024 for Kinderhilfe Bethlehem
At home with a Caritas Baby Hospital patient. The hospital in Bethlehem is the only one in the West Bank that cares exclusively for children.
Sleptsovskaya, Ingushetia, Russian Federation, 2003
In the Alina tent camp. Ingushetia, neighboring republic to Chechnya, took in around 300,000 Chechens, which nearly doubled its population.
Tze’elim Army Base, near Kibbutz Tze’elim, Israel, 2017
The Arafat Mosque in the model Palestinian city Lashabiya. It is part of the Israel Defense Forces’ urban warfare training center and is made up of roughly 600 buildings. After the Second Intifada and the Second Lebanon War, the army leadership demanded better training for fighting in clearly defined urban centers. In 2017, the cornerstone was laid for a further center in the Golan, which should simulate a Lebanese village and also be suitable for training with tanks.
Sleptsovskaya, Ingushetia, Russian Federation, 2003
Outside of the Alina tent camp. Around 18,000 Chechens live as internally displaced persons in the four refugee camps Alina, Bela, Satzita, and Sputnik near the village of Sleptsovskaya.
Semipalatinsk (since 2007 Semey), Kazakhstan, 2010
Maira Shumageldina with her severely handicapped daughter Shannur. In the Semipalatinsk region, atomic bomb testing took place from 1949 to 1989. Shannur, born in 1992, cannot walk or talk and is cared for by her mother twenty-four hours a day.
2015 for Fastenopfer
Burkina Faso, near Tikaré. A miner at the artisanal gold mine Balong-tanga near the village Tikaré is digging his hole slowly but steadily into the depth.
2020 for Seraina Sattler and Anna Six
Walter Mauerhofer. His friends were monkeys, elephants and bears. Today, he is still the director of the zoo his parents founded – when he dies, his ashes will be scattered in the lion enclosure. (Introduction to the portrait in the book Anders Aufgewachsen by Seraina Sattler and Anna Six).
Semipalatinsk (since 2007 Semey), Kazakhstan, 2010
Berik Sysdikow is blind and unable to work. His mother still takes care of him. Thanks to donations, he was able to go abroad several times to have the growths on his face operated on.Berik’s mother lived as a herder with her husband close to the Polygon Semipalatinsk atomic testing grounds. She saw two atomic mushrooms, just a few days apart. Between 1949 and 1989, 456 atomic bombs were set off in the framework of the Soviet nuclear weapons testing program.
Stepanakert, unrecognized Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh, 2012
After the parade of Nagorno-Karabakh’s army, the traces of tanks can still be seen on the street. On May 9, the army presents itself to the population on Independence Square. The most important commemorative day and holiday of the self-ordained state commemorates the victory over Nazi Germany, the founding of the Nagorno-Karabakh army, and the liberation of Shushi, a strategically important city.
Beltring, Kent, England, 2009
Re-enactors in the German ‹Waffen-SS› uniform playing a muster. Each year in July the War & Peace Show takes place in the county of Kent in southern England. This is a large Living History Event whereby plays re-enacting World War II are particularly popular. People who cultivate such a hobby call themselves re-enactors, and allegedly it is their greatest concern to make history tangible for others and thereby to sharpen their consciousness for the horrors of war.
On the road to Mardakert, unrecognized Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh, 2011
Memorial for fallen heroes from the Soviet era, which recalls the battle against Nazi Germany.
2015 for Fastenopfer
Burkina Faso, Alga. At the artisanal gold mine Alga an exhausted miner is sleeping in the morning after the night shift in the hole.
Nablus, West Bank, 2013
Originally, the decommissioned Israeli passenger plane on the outskirts of Nablus was meant to be converted into a restaurant and become part of an amusement park. The outbreak of the Second Intifada in 2000 brought an end to these plans.
Beersheba, Israel, 2014
The memorial site for the Negev Brigade is the city’s landmark commemorating the victims of the 1948 Arab–Israeli War. It was created by the renowned sculptor Dani Karavan (born 1930).
Sleptsovskaya, Ingushetia, Russian Federation, 2003
Displaced Chechen woman with her daughter.
Stepanakert, unrecognized Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh, 2011
Erik Asratian and Christine Danilian on their wedding day. Christine is still in school. Erik is serving his two-year military service.
Guardian of peace; Ahmad Hamed Merzazada, 29, Afghanistan
“My only dream and wish is to restore peace in Afghanistan. As an army officer, I had wished to spend a day without fighting and without firing a bullet. Instead, let's have a day of joy, music and singing. I believe that it is better to fight problems by singing a song and expressing yourself freely than by fighting each other.”
2021 for Georg Utz AG
Apprentices at Georg Utz AG.
Semipalatinsk (since 2007 Semey), Kazakhstan, 2010
Stepanakert, unrecognized Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh, 2011
A girl is applauding the festive musical and dancing performances which are carried out in the great stadium of the capital on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the foundation of the Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh. On her head the girl wears the national flag which is almost the same as the Armenian flag, the only difference being the white arrow.
Near Moscow, Russian Federation, 2012
An employee of the Moscow hot-air balloon manufacturer Rusbal blows up the apparatus of an air defense system. The company manufactures tire products, however specializes in inflatable tanks and other war equipment made of rubber. They are meant to feign military strength for the enemy. Already during World War II, both the Red Army and the allies used wooden tanks and canons to deceive the Wehrmacht’s reconnaissance.
2020 for Seraina Sattler and Anna Six
Katharina Arzt. After the early death of her mother, she grew up with her mother's best friend. Her father was a priest and was unable to take her in – but in secret he maintained a close contact with his daughter. (Introduction to the portrait in the book Anders Aufgewachsen by Seraina Sattler and Anna Six).
2023 for Kinderhilfe Bethlehem
The Caritas Baby Hospital in Bethlehem. It is the only hospital in the West Bank that cares exclusively for children.
Stepanakert, unrecognized Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh, 2011
The day before the national holiday for the twentieth anniversary of the founding of Nagorno-Karabakh, soldiers and a dance troupe perform folk dances. Among the audience on Independence Square in front of the presidential palace are the president of Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh, Serg Sargsyan and Bako Sahakyan. Since September 2, 1991, Nagorno Karabakh has considered itself an independent state, but hardly any other country recognizes it.
Weightless; Anastasiia Biletska, 42, Ukraine
“My dream is to be able to switch off gravity. I remember my childhood and the evening fairy tale on TV in which the 'Blue Bull' flew from one star to another. Back then, the world was populated by strange animals and the impossible became possible.”
Paris, France, 2014
At the end of a live demonstration, the ‹actors› stand before an applauding audience. Every other year the world’s largest arms show takes place in Paris: the ‹Eurosatory›.
2022 for Kinderhilfe Bethlehem
X-ray department of the Caritas Baby Hospital in Bethlehem. It is the only hospital in the West Bank that cares exclusively for children.
Beltring, Kent, England, 2009
A remote controlled model of a German WWII tank is fascinating the visitors. Each year in July the War & Peace Show takes place in the county of Kent in southern England. This is a large Living History Event whereby plays re-enacting World War II are particularly popular. People who cultivate such a hobby call themselves re-enactors, and allegedly it is their greatest concern to make history tangible for others and thereby to sharpen their consciousness for the horrors of war.
Jenin, West Bank, 2017
Living room of the Abu el-Hija family at the Jenin refugee camp. Depicted on the poster to the right is the son and martyr Hamza Abu el-Hija (1991 until 2014). Hamza died at the camp in a shootout with the Israel Defense Forces. He was supposedly a member of the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam brigade, the military wing of Hamas. The man with glasses and white beard on the poster to the left is Hamza’s father Jamal (born 1959) who has been in prison since 2002.
Karabulak, Ingushetia, Russian Federation, 2003
Displaced Chechen in the MTF refugee camp. Chechens of this generation have often exper-ienced expulsion already for the second time. During World War II Stalin deported a great number of Chechens to central Asia, mainly Kazakhstan.
2022 for laut & leise – Magazin der Stellen für Suchtprävention im Kanton Zürich
After the extraction process, which takes several hours, the remaining cannabis plant material is removed in the CO2 extraction machine. The extract is then processed into CBD products.
Kibbutz Yad Mordechai, Israel, 2017
On the Day of Remembrance of the Holocaust and Heroism, Yom HaShoah at the From Holocaust to Revival Museum. Visitors view a model of the battle of Yad Mordechai. Mordechai Anilevitz was a leader of the revolt in the Warsaw Ghetto. The kibbutz, founded in 1943 and named after him, was attacked by Egypt in 1948.
Herodion, West Bank, 2015
View of the West Bank from the Herodion. Herodion was built in the years 24 to 12 BC by Herod the Great as a palace fortress. Located today in Israeli occupied Palestinian territory, the Herodion hill and the archeological site beneath the slope belong to an Israeli nature preserve.
Gaza City, Gaza Strip, 2017
Two Palestinian men sit on war debris in Gaza harbor, enjoy the evening atmosphere and watch a sailing fisherboat. Debris from the war has piled up to form a slip of land in the harbor.
Paris, France, 2022
The booth of the American company "Michigan Economic Development" at the the world's largest arms fair "Eurosatory".
2023 for Liberty Specialty Markets
Team photo second part.
2024 for bref – Das Magazin der Reformierten
Rehearsal for ‹Das Grosse Welttheater› in a multi-purpose hall in Einsiedeln. The costumes (by Annamaria Glaudemans) are waiting to be used.
Snamenka, Kazakhstan, 2010
Berik Bostaev, born in 1976, has suffered one of his very frequent fainting spells; his mother helps him get back on his feet. Berik is handicapped, the doctors say that the fainting spells can be traced back to his heart problems. His mother was exposed to radiation when she was pregnant with him. The family lives near the Polygon Semipalatinsk atomic testing ground.
On the former Polygon Semipalatinsk nuclear weapons testing grounds, Kazakhstan, 2010
Remains of measuring stations, which were built at regular intervals around the epicenter of the aboveground atomic bomb tests. Metal collectors have dug the wires out of the ground because they can sell them.
Kfar Saba, Israel, 2017
Kfar Saba, Israel. Airsoft skirmishes are carried out at the Tacticball shooting range. Airsoft is similar to paintball, but the bullets are smaller and no color is splattered upon impact. The rifles are modeled after genuine weapons.
2023 for Kinderhilfe Bethlehem
Home visit by a social worker of the Caritas Baby Hospital in Bethlehem. The hospital is the only one in the West Bank that cares exclusively for children.
Grozny, Chechnya, Russian Federation, 2003
In the city center near the market.
2024 for bref – Das Magazin der Reformierten
Rehearsal for ‹Das Grosse Welttheater› in a multi-purpose hall in Einsiedeln. Choreographer Graham Smith (left) and director Livio Andreina (right) rehearse with a group of children.
Efrat, West Bank, 2014
Jewish settlers from Efrat at target practice on the Caliber 3 training grounds, close to their settlement. Caliber 3 is an Israeli anti-terror training site for, for instance, Israelis who work in security jobs for settlers. In recent years, these types of facilities have become tourist attractions. These settlers are participating in a security course. When asked what their motivation is, most say, ‘awareness.’
2022 for Kinderhilfe Bethlehem
Entrance to the outpatient clinic of the Caritas Baby Hospital in Bethlehem. It is the only hospital in the West Bank that cares exclusively for children.
Volgograd (1925–1961 Stalingrad), Russian Federation, 2009
Gennadiy Hannikov, eighty-two-year-old war veteran and Cossack in uniform for the occasion of the Day of Victory celebration on May 9.
Hin Taghlar, unrecognized Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh, 2011
Local employees of a demining organization search a field with metal detectors. They carry out a ‹BAC› (Battle Area Clearance). Near the village of Hin Taghlar there was an important army post during the Nagorno-Karabakh War. The post was the frequent target of air and other attacks. Nearly twenty years after the drawing up of a ceasefire, the country is neither entirely demined nor freed of dangerous remaining ammunition.
Semipalatinsk (since 2007 Semey), Kazakhstan, 2010
Maksh Iskakova, born in 1934, has been blind since 1953. During an atomic bomb test, she looked directly into the explosion although she was advised not to. She says that that atomic mushroom is the last image that she saw.
2022 for laut & leise – Magazin der Stellen für Suchtprävention im Kanton Zürich
An employee of the company SwissExtract in Ried near Kerzers harvests ripe CBD cannabis plants in the field.
Shushi, unrecognized Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh, 2012
Nora Eremian, born in 1930, with her great granddaughter. Her two sons are victims of the Nagorno-Karabakh War. One is considered missing, the other died in the war.
Beit Fajjar, West Bank, 2015
The Palestinian city Beit Fajjar is known for its many quarries. The famous Jerusalem stone is mined here. Palestinian-run quarries are subjected to constant harassment. Tools are confiscated, licenses no longer issued. According to the Palestinians, this serves to weaken the Palestinian economy. The Israelis argue that the quarry is on state territory and thus presents security and environmental problems.
Volgograd (1925–1961 Stalingrad), Russian Federation, 2009
Onlookers watch the military parade on the occasion of the festivities for the Day of Victory from in front of the Hotel Volgograd. On May 9, most states of the former Soviet Union celebrate the Red Army’s victory over the Wehrmacht.
Artas, West Bank, 2014
A funeral ceremony to honor the young suicide bombers Ayat al-Akhras and Daoud Abu Swayy. The young man and woman both detonated themselves in 2002 in West Jerusalem, Rachel Levy and Haim Smadar were murdered. Twelve years later, Israel returned the assassins’ mortal remains to the Palestinians. Ayat, in particular, is considered a hero as she is one of the few women suicide bombers.
Grozny, Chechnya, Russian Federation, 2003
This young Chechen looks in the rubble for bricks, which she sells and can use for a new house in her village. The Chechen capital lies in ruins. Even President Vladimir Putin was shocked by the extent of the destruction, according to a press report after his visit in spring 2004.
Astana, Kazakhstan, 2010
Astana is around 600 kilometers away from Semipalatinsk and has been the capital of Kazakhstan since 1997. The city center was modernized at record speed and offers a crude contrast to the poverty in the region of the former Polygon Semipalatinsk nuclear weapons testing grounds. The Baiterek tower was designed by Sir Norman Foster. It symbolizes the tree of life.
Volgograd (1925–1961 Stalingrad), Russian Federation, 2009
Soldiers are waiting for their mission at the military review on the occasion of the ‹Day of Victory› on May 9. Up till today, May 9 is one of the most important festive days in most of the states of the former Soviet Union; it recalls the victory over Hitler’s Germany in the ‹Great Patriotic War› as World War II is called.
2022 for Kinderhilfe Bethlehem
Scouts' Christmas parade in the Old City of Bethlehem in the West Bank.
2023 for CSS
Philomena Colatrella, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of CSS.
2023 for Schaffhauser Wirtschaft
Prof. Dr. Yvonne Seiler Zimmermann.
Bethlehem, West Bank, 2015
Bethlehem, West Bank. In front of the wall at the Ayda refugee camp. The Palestine Marathon around Bethlehem has taken place every year since 2013. Because it was not possible to find a continuous route of 42 kilometers without having to pass an Israeli checkpoint, an 11-kilometer route that must be run four times was laid
out.
Chagan, Kazakhstan, 2010
This man collects scrap metal in the abandoned city of Chagan in order to sell it. Until the end of the Soviet Union, Chagan was a restricted, mysterious city, but a thriving one for the employees of the close-by military airfield.
Beersheba, Israel, 2014
The memorial site for the Negev Brigade is the city’s landmark commemorating the victims of the 1948 Arab–Israeli War. It was created by the renowned sculptor Dani Karavan (born 1930).
2022 for Wochenzeitung WOZ
Employee of the Polish armaments company 'PGZ' talking to a customer. For the first time after the pandemic, the world's largest arms fair 'Eurosatory' was held again in the north of Paris. From June 13 to 17, 2022, 57,000 people visited the fair, which this time was also marked by the special circumstances of the current Ukraine war.
2023 for Georg UTZ AG
Group photo of the management of Georg Utz AG.
2022 for laut & leise – Magazin der Stellen für Suchtprävention im Kanton Zürich
Production of CBD oil in the SwissExtract laboratory in Ried near Kerzers.
Paris, France, 2014
At the stand of the ‹Human Target Tat3d› company that produces three-dimensional humanoid targets for tactical shooting practice, at the ‹Eurosatory› arms fair. Every other year the world’s largest arms show takes place in Paris.
Near Hin Taghlar, unrecognized Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh, 2011
Wood transport through a recently demined area. Economically weak Nagorno-Karabakh is highly dependent on agriculture and forestry, therefore, demining is a central concern.
2021 for Wochenzeitung WOZ
Nurse (doll) in the operating room of the civil defense museum in Zurich.
Jericho, West Bank, 2014
Students at Al-Istiqlal (‹independent›) University during early morning drills. They are training for various jobs in the security field and preparing for an independent state. The graduates are employed by the Palestinian National Authority.
2021 for Schaffhauser Meisterkurse
Making music in front of a historical painting.
Stepanakert, unrecognized Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh, 2011
Soldiers from the Nagorno-Karabakh army applaud at the performance of the play ‹We and Our Mountains› in the state dramatic arts theater Wagrama Papasian. The play is about the Nagorno-Karabakh War.
Karabulak, Ingushetia, Russian Federation, 2003
Chechens in the closed-down cement factory, which was set up as the Karer refugee camp for internally displaced persons. Ingushetia, the neighboring republic to Chechnya, absorbed roughly 300,000 internally displaced persons, which nearly doubled the country’s population.
Qalandiya-Checkpoint, West Bank, 2014
Qalandiya is the main checkpoint between the northern West Bank and Jerusalem. It’s a site for regular demonstrations and clashes.
Tel Saki, Golan Heights, 2015
Military monument remembering the battle of Tel Saki during the Yom Kippur War 1973.
De Lier, Netherlands, 2023
Phalaenopsis prepared for shipping at the Dutch producer Sion.
Zurich, Switzerland, 2023
Part number 2 of the Lego kit from the Botanical Collection, Orchid. The kit consists of 608 parts.
Stepanakert, unrecognized Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh, 2011
Pupils from the ninth grade at School No. 10 during a ‹military preparation› lesson. In the weekly lessons, the pupils are taught marksmanship, among other things, and also learn about the structure of Armenia’s and Nagorno-Karabakh’s military forces. At the end of the school year, they visit a military base to carry out a shooting exercise in the field with live ammunition. This type of instruction was a set component of the curriculum throughout the Soviet Union. In Nagorno-Karabakh it has merely been adapted to the current situation.
Volgograd (1925–1961 Stalingrad), Russian Federation, 2009
Thousands stream to the “Motherland Calls” statue on May 9, the Day of Victory. The victory of the Red Army over the German Wehrmacht is celebrated every year. The sculpture, which is eighty-five meters tall, is one of the tallest in the world and is found on a hill that was fought for bitterly in the Battle of Stalingrad.
Ari dances; Aria Archontia Anasi, 30, Greece
“My dream is to be a dance teacher who travels the world and teaches people how to dance. It's interesting to see what comes out of dancing. I want to help people express what they want through dance and bring the world closer to expressing feelings without words.”
Kurchatov, Kazakhstan, 2010
A diorama of the Polygon Semipalatinsk testing grounds in the Atomic Testing Museum. The model shows the situation in the restricted area before the first above ground test by the Soviet Union on August 29, 1949. The bomb was in the black tower in the middle. Tested were the effects on buildings, military equipment such as tanks and airplanes, as well as animals.
Kiev, Ukraine, 2007
The plinth of the “Motherland Calls” statue houses the National Museum of the History of the Great Patriotic War 1941–1945. This is the name that World War II is known by in the countries of the former Soviet Union.
2020 for Seraina Sattler and Anna Six
Cornelia Cia. Because of a rare metabolic disorder, her body has been destroying itself since she was six years old. She only remembers her childhood in fragments. What she does know for sure is that she does not want a different life. She is supported by her mother in telling her story. (Introduction to the portrait in the book Anders Aufgewachsen by Seraina Sattler and Anna Six).
Beit Hanun, Gaza Strip, 2017
The so-called Al-Nahda building, the majority of which was destroyed in the last war in 2014, is nonetheless partially inhabited.
Stepanakert, unrecognized Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh, 2011
Children at the festivities on the occasion of their first day at school. Schools begin on September 1, as was already commonly the case in the Soviet Union.
Khan Yunis, Gaza Strip, 2017
Street scene with propaganda poster from the military’s information division.
Agdam, unrecognized Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh, 2012
The small town of Agdam was destroyed in 1993. The Muslim population had to flee; today, there are no longer any Muslims living in Nagorno-Karabakh. According to reports, from Human Rights Watch, among others, after the takeover, the houses were willfully destroyed to prevent the refugees from returning. The city is found in a restricted area near the front line.
Kiev, Ukraine, 2007
Raica Vladimirovna, cashier at the National Museum of the History of the Great Patriotic War 1941–1945. Because the word “cash register” is written with only one “s” in Ukrainian, there is a letter missing in the writing on the wall. By adapting, the museum demonstrates Ukraine’s independence.
2022 for Kinderhilfe Bethlehem
Nurse with little patient in the Caritas Baby Hospital in Bethlehem. It is the only hospital in the West Bank that cares exclusively for children.
Kiev, Ukraine, 2007
Valentina Vladimirovna, guard at the National Museum of the History of the Great Patriotic War 1941–1945, as World War II is known by here. The Soviet Union, with 27 million war victims mourns the greatest number of dead, of whom eight to ten million were Ukrainians.
Grozny, Chechnya, Russian Federation, 2003
The Chechen capital lies in ruins. Even President Vladimir Putin was shocked by the extent of the destruction, according to a press report after his visit in spring 2004.
Semipalatinsk (since 2007 Semey), Kazakhstan, 2010
In the former Soviet Union, every occupation had its own holiday. Even today, railroad workers still celebrate their festival on July 31.
Pereyaslav-Chmelnitzky, Ukraine, 2007
Diorama in the Museum of the Great Patriotic War, which is set up in a former church.
Moscow, Russian Federation, 2003
The Chechen Rosa Ibragimova lives with her five children in a one-room apartment. Her husband has been in prison for seven months.
Semipalatinsk (since 2007 Semey), Kazakhstan, 2010
This girl was born in the region of the former Soviet nuclear testing grounds Polygon Semipalatinsk. She participates in a state program for handicapped children.
Front line between the unrecognized Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh and Azerbaijan, 2011
Since the call for an armed truce in 1994, the enemy armies have stood here, facing one another from a short distance away. Nonetheless, there are frequent skirmishes in which soldiers are killed on both sides.
Zurich, Switzerland, 2023
Flower display with Phalaenopsis prepared for Easter in a branch of the retailer Coop.
2024 for Kinderhilfe Bethlehem
Home visit by a social worker of the Caritas Baby Hospital in Bethlehem. The hospital is the only one in the West Bank that cares exclusively for children.
Semipalatinsk (since 2007 Semey), Kazakhstan, 2010
Maira Shumageldina together with her heavily handicapped daughter Schannur (born 23.5.1992) in their small house in the outskirts of Semipalatinsk. Schannur is neither able to speak nor to walk and has to be taken care of by her mother. Between 1949 and 1989 almost 500 atomic bombs were ignited for test purposes by the Soviets in the region of Semipalatinsk. Still today the region has a high frequency of various diseases primarily due to fallout from nearby nuclear test sites.
Stepanakert, unrecognized Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh, 2011
Christine Danilian (born 1994) on her Wedding Day. Christine still goes to school and her freshly-married husband (born 1992) is doing his two-year military service.
2018 for Kinderhilfe Bethlehem
Nurse with a small patient in the children's hospital in Bethlehem, Palestine.
2022 for Karin Heberlein
Karin Heberlein, director and screenwriter.
2011 for Fastenopfer
Democratic Republic Of The Congo, Lubumbashi. View from the slag heap of the former state mine company Gécamines. Small but still recognizable: young men digging for ore illegally. Because of the further development of technology, the former waste now is very valuable. Thanks to the most modern technology it’s possible to extract a product out of the waste, that contains cobalt. The product, the so called white alloy will be exported to Finland, where the cobalt will be extracted out of it.
Stepanakert, unrecognized Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh, 2012
The population enthusiastically follows the large military parade on May 9. Even though the country is impoverished, the majority welcomes the lavish parade.
2015 for Fastenopfer
Burkina Faso, Alga. A artisanal miner at the gold mine Alga is lowering his work colleague by turning on a rope winch into the unsecured approximate 100 meter deep tunnel.
2015 for Fastenopfer
Burkina Faso, Alga. Dusty work at the artisanal gold mine Alga: workers grind the stones by means of motorized mills. Later on the gold will be washed out of it.
Kurchatov, Kazakhstan, 2010
Central square in the city named after the ‹father of the atomic bomb,› Igor Kurchatov. It was the administration and control center of the Polygon Semipalatinsk restricted area.
Grozny, Chechnya, Russian Federation, 2003
Olga Schidajeva and her son Adam in the stairway of a partially destroyed building. Because there is no electricity, this burning gas main serves as lighting.
2022 for Wochenzeitung WOZ
At the booth of the French manufacturer 'Tr Equipment'. For the first time after the pandemic, the world's largest arms fair 'Eurosatory' was held again in the north of Paris. From June 13 to 17, 2022, 57,000 people visited the fair, which this time was also marked by the special circumstances of the current Ukraine war.
Al-Mufakara, West Bank, 2014
Remains of the al-Mufakara mosque, which Israel declared to be illegal and therefore destroyed. No solid structures built of concrete are permitted in this village, only tents and huts. Al-Mufakara is in Zone C, which is fully under the control of the Israelis, near a military exercise area.
2020 for Psychiatrische Universitätsklinik Zürich, PUK
Therapy with therapy chicken.
Stepanakert, unrecognized Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh, 2011
Festivities on the occasion of the first day of school on September 1. One day later, the twentieth anniversary of the founding of Nagorno-Karabakh will be celebrated. Nagorno-Karabakh has considered itself an independent state since September 2, 1991, although hardly any other country recognizes it.
Tel Hashomer, Israel, 2017
Training for how to act during various emergencies, also civil ones, is carried out at the Israel Center for Medical Simulation. The two dolls represent victims of a terrorist attack, the injuries are represented as true-to-life as possible. The dolls, which are connected with a computer, can speak, scream, mediate a blood pressure and pulse, and respond to medical treatment. The behavior of the medical core soldiers is closely observed and evaluated.
2011 for Fastenopfer
Democratic Republic Of The Congo, Kamatanda near Likasi. At the river called Kamatanda in the artisanal copper and cobalt mine of Kamatanda a boy is washing the ore. Also at the river the washed ore is being sold to the brokers. In every rechargeable battery there is cobalt; about half the world-wide annual consumption of cobalt comes from the Congo and, in turn, about half of this is exploited in an artisanal manner.
Ma’ale Adumim, West Bank, 2013
Ma’ale Adumim is the third largest settlement on the West Bank. Jewish settlements are easily recognizable also at night, because they are distinctly better lit than Palestinian villages and cities. Around 400,000 Israeli settlers live in the West Bank, a further 200,000 in annexed East Jerusalem. The United Nations (UN) considers all Jewish settlements in territories captured by Israel during the Six-Day War as illegal in accordance with the Fourth Geneva Convention.
Frauenfeld, Switzerland, 2021
Reception area of LIDL Switzerland.
The dawn; Iryna Liezhentseva, 51, Ukraine
“I walk along the water and feed the fish. It is quiet, there is only the gentle sound of the waves and the cry of the seagulls. My dream is to be like the wind that touches the ocean and creates the waves. The morning dawns, I watch the butterfly and smell the ocean.”
2022 for Historisches Museum Thurgau
Coronaline hand puppet in the shape of a coronavirus (Covid-19) from the satirical program “Deville Late Night” on Swiss television, alluding to the character Caroline by ventriloquist Urs Kliby from Kreuzlingen (“Kliby and Caroline”).
Volgograd (1925–1961 Stalingrad), Russian Federation, 2009
An employee at the Volgograd Pedagogical Men’s Lyceum explains the course of the fronts in the battle of Stalingrad. The school’s museum is devoted exclusively to this battle. The Men’s Lyceum serves to prepare young men for a job as a teacher, and is a state-recognized educational facility for the patriotic education of Russian citizens.
2015 for Fastenopfer
Burkina Faso, near Tikaré. At the artisanal gold mine Balong-tanga near the village Tikaré a miner is coming out of his hole after the shift.
Zurich, Switzerland, 2022
Health insurer's office with Phalaenopsis.
2015 for Fastenopfer
Burkina Faso, near Gambo. Woman from the village Gambo. The road that was built by the industrial gold mine company leads straight through her field. This causes heavy consequences for the water regime: one side of the field is flooded the other side is drying out.
Stepanakert, unrecognized Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh, 2011
An actress in the Wagrama Papasian Theater waits for the start of the performance. She is playing a Muslim woman in the play ‹We and our Mountains.› But in real, everyday life there are no remaining Muslims in Nagorno-Karabakh; they have been expelled.
2024 for bref – Das Magazin der Reformierten
Rehearsal for ‹Das Grosse Welttheater› in a multi-purpose hall in Einsiedeln. Plan for a wide variety of costumes.
Near Snamenka, Kazakhstan, 2010
The crater, which locals call ‹Lake Atom,› arose after an underground atomic bomb explosion in 1965.
Zurich, Switzerland, 2022
X-ray of an artificial plastic Phalaenopsis.
2021 for Historisches Museum Thurgau
Fatschenkind from the Benedictine convent in Münsterlingen, around 1740. The Fatschenkind represents Jesus Christ wrapped in swaddling clothes by Mary. However, the baby Jesus is not lying in a manger with straw, but in a splendid and glamorously designed display case. The sculpture for private devotion is one of the so-called monastic works made by nuns and thus contributed to the monastery's income. The production of such works required a great deal of patience as well as devotion and is therefore tantamount to religious contemplation. The work served popular piety, which combined the strict liturgical ceremony with regional customs.
Stepanakert, unrecognized Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh, 2012
On May 9, the Nagorno-Karabakh army presents itself to the population. After a military parade, civilians can have the members of the army show them the various weapons. The most important memorial day and holiday of the self-proclaimed state commemorates the victory over Nazi Germany, the founding of the Nagorno-Karabakh army, and the liberation of Shushi, a strategically important city.
2015 for Fastenopfer
Burkina Faso, Bissa. The slag heap of the industrial gold mine Bissa which is run by the company Nordgold. The former village Bissa was located close to the slag heap. It had to give way to the industrial gold mine. The inhabitants of the former village Bissa have been relocated to a new built village close by.
2022 for Wochenzeitung WOZ
Talks in the pavilion of the German armaments company 'Rheinmetall'. For the first time after the pandemic, the world's largest arms fair 'Eurosatory' was held again in the north of Paris. From June 13 to 17, 2022, 57,000 people visited the fair, which this time was also marked by the special circumstances of the current Ukraine war.
Zurich, Switzerland, 2022
X-ray of a real Phalaenopsis.
Hebron, Westbank, 2013
During a patrol through the Shuhada-Street in the historical center of Hebron, Israeli soldiers are chatting with Jewish settler kids. Roughly 800 religious settlers live in the historical center of Hebron, and thereby in the midst of the Palestinian population. Military infrastructure, such as walls, checkpoints, and also the massive and permanent presence of the army provide for the settlers’ safety.
2018 for winery Schlossgut Bachtobel
Freshly filled bottles from Mousseux.
2024 for bref – Das Magazin der Reformierten
Rehearsal for ‹Das Grosse Welttheater› in a multi-purpose hall in Einsiedeln.
2011 for Fastenopfer
Democratic Republic Of The Congo, Kamatanda near Likasi. The artisanal cobalt and copper mine of Kamatanda. Numerous holes are leading into the depth. Like spiders young men are clambering down into earth-holes up to 40 meters deep, without ladders, without safeguarding and without any help whatsoever. Like moles they are digging their way through the soil in order to reach the valuable mineral ores which contain copper or cobalt. In every rechargeable battery there is cobalt; about half the world-wide annual consumption of cobalt comes from the Congo and, in turn, about half of this is exploited in an artisanal manner.
Stepanakert, unrecognized Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh, 2011
Portrait panel in front of the Museum of Fallen Soldiers from the Nagorno-Karabakh War. The museum was founded by a woman whose son died in the war. It is located close to the Museum of Missing Soldiers.
Volgograd (1925–1961 Stalingrad), Russian Federation, 2009
Model of the entirely destroyed city of Stalingrad in the State Museum “Battle of Stalingrad”. The battle of Stalingrad lasted from September 1942 until February 1943; more than 700,000 soldiers, mainly from the Red Army, were killed. The surrender of the Wehrmacht and their allies is considered the turning point in World War II.
The countess; Yelena Rodovich, 32, Ukraine
“My dream is to be a countess or a member of a royal family. I've always been interested in watching old movies with beautiful antique costumes and castles. I imagined how royal everyday life went and what they did. This luxury of the great halls where the balls were held fascinates me when I travel and take a trip to a castle. When I look at old films or portraits, I secretly search for features of my relatives.”
Paradise; Mîrze Sîbaru, 35 years old, Kurdistan
“I often dream of peace in my home country of Kurdistan. Once I dreamt that countless people had gathered in the capital Amed and we Kurds were celebrating the biggest festival in the world. In the dream, I was a white peacock. The white symbolizes peace for the Yazidi Kurds. Our president Öcalan was speaking in front of us and we were celebrating peace and freedom. We were incredibly happy and danced around a huge fire. Green, red and yellow flames were blazing everywhere - a symbol of the Kurdish people. I was also in the middle of the dance circle.”
Near Latrun, Israel, 2014
Memorial site for the armored corps of the Israel Defense Forces with affiliated military museum. More than 200 tanks are on display, the one in the photo is displayed on a former water tower. The military museum is located in a zone that was de-militarized until 1967, and fell under Israeli control after the Six-Day War. Israel considers these grounds as part of its state territory, the Palestinians see them as part of the former West Bank.
Beltring, Kent, England, 2009
Re-enactors in a non-specific guerrilla uniform. Each year in July the War & Peace Show takes place in the county of Kent in southern England. This is a large Living History Event whereby plays re-enacting World War II are particularly popular. People who cultivate such a hobby call themselves re-enactors, and allegedly it is their greatest concern to make history tangible for others and thereby to sharpen their consciousness for the horrors of war.
Semipalatinsk (since 2007 Semey), Kazakhstan, 2010
Dead foetus with congenital anomalies of the development of the central nervous system due to nuclear weapons tests on display at the Museum of the State Medical Academy in Semipalatinsk.
2021 for Schaffhauser Meisterkurse
Violinist Florian Moser discusses interpreting the piece.
Bethlehem, West Bank, 2014
Two soccer teams on the occasion of a championship match in the highest Palestinian women’s league in the Al Khader stadium on the periphery of Bethlehem.
Beersheba, Israel, 2015
Beersheba, Israel. Dance performance with disabled war veterans in wheelchairs.
Beltring, Kent, England, 2009
Re-enactors in the American uniform of Iraq War. Each year in July the War & Peace Show takes place in the county of Kent in southern England. This is a large Living History Event whereby plays re-enacting World War II are particularly popular. People who cultivate such a hobby call themselves re-enactors, and allegedly it is their greatest concern to make history tangible for others and thereby to sharpen their consciousness for the horrors of war.
Stepanakert, unrecognized Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh, 2011
An assistant to the sculptor Robert Askarian works on a sculpture for the memorial complex near the Heroes’ Cemetery.
2021 for Georg Utz AG
Production at the factory in Bremgarten.
2021 for Seraina Sattler and Anna Six
Maria Zanola. She was born the fifth of nine children in a farming family in Appenzell. Anyone who read books instead of helping on the farm was considered lazy – yet she made it to university. (Introduction to the portrait in the book Anders Aufgewachsen by Seraina Sattler and Anna Six).
Volgograd (1925–1961 Stalingrad), Russian Federation, 2009
View from the terrace of the Volgograd hotel of the military parade on the occasion of the festivities on the Day of Victory. On May 9, most of the States of the former Soviet Union celebrate the Red Army’s victory over the Wehrmacht.
Peru Forest near Latrun, Israel, 2017
As a little joke, an Israeli reenactment group departs from the historical protocol and slams away at a car wreck. The historical era they are devoted to is that of the crusades. At the Council of Clermont on November 27, 1095, Pope Urban II invoked the Christians to crusade in the Holy Land. They should drive away the Muslims living there and seize the holy sites in Jerusalem for the Christians.
Stepanakert, unrecognized Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh, 2011
Portraits in the museum for the missing soldiers of the war for Nagorno-Karabakh. The museum was founded by Vera Grigorian whose son Spartak—second row, third from left—is missing. The museum is directly next to the museum for fallen soldiers, which was set up by a woman whose son died in the war.
2022 for laut & leise – Magazin der Stellen für Suchtprävention im Kanton Zürich
Extract obtained from the dried flowers of the CBD hemp plant after a process lasting several hours in the CO2 extraction machine, which is then further processed into CBD products.
Winterthur, Switzerland, 2022
Dining room in the Friedtal restaurant.
2023 for Zürcher Kantonalbank
2023 for Kinderhilfe Bethlehem
Mother with a small patient during a physiotherapy session at Caritas Baby Hospital in Bethlehem. It is the only hospital in the West Bank that cares exclusively for children.
Karabulak, Ingushetia, Russian Federation, 2003
Chechen men at the MTF refugee camp.
Volgograd (1925–1961 Stalingrad), Russian Federation, 2009
Large diorama in the State Museum “Battle of Stalingrad.” It is called, “The annihilation of the German-fascist army at Stalingrad.”
Volgograd (1925–1961 Stalingrad), Russian Federation, 2009
The All Saint’s Church built in 2005 and the “Motherland Calls” statue on Mamayev Kurgan. In the battle of Stalingrad, the hill was bitterly fought for. The statue is one of the largest in the world. The sword alone measures twenty-nine meters and weighs fourteen tons.
Kurchatov, Kazakhstan, 2010
Abandoned houses in the city named after the ‹father of the atomic bomb,› Igor Kurchatov. It was the administration and control center of the Polygon Semipalatinsk restricted area.
A bright future for mankind; Nina Grygoryeva, 77, Ukraine
“If I were a sorceress, I would stop all wars on earth and direct people only to creative work. There are so many capable people in the world in the fields of science, art and architecture. But the forces of evil destroy cities, destroy works of art. They kill women with children, old people and men. Millions of refugees are leaving their home countries because of the war. As a result, they lose contact with their country and their national culture. I would like to wave a magic stick and destroy all the dark forces on earth.”
2021 for Schaffhauser Meisterkurse
The interpretation of the piece of music is recorded so that it can be analyzed later.
Zurich, Switzerland, 2021
Shop window of a coifeur store with Phalaenopsis.
Chagan, Kazakhstan, 2010
Until the end of the Soviet Union, Chagan was a closed and mysterious place for those without permission to enter, but nonetheless a thriving city for the employees of the close-by military airfield. In an emergency, the airplanes were to fly the atomic bomb to the target site.
2024 for Surprise
Jwan Mohamad is deaf and fled from Syria to Switzerland. He is now doing an apprenticeship as a gardener in the deaf village of Stiftung Schloss Turbenthal.
2021 for Schaffhauser Meisterkurse
The young cellist Maksim Barbash.
Aboud, West Bank, 2015
Palestinian women mourn Abed al-Rahman Barghouthi (26), who was shot by the Israel Defense Forces. According to the Israelis, Abed wanted to attack a soldier with a knife. According to the Palestinians, Abed was shot in cold blood and the Israelis subsequently placed a knife alongside his dead body. Knife attacks by Palestinians were a daily occurrence during this period, and as a rule, the attackers were shot on the spot.
Salfit, West Bank, 2015
An open dump.
Mardakert, unrecognized Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh, 2011
Slaughtering a cow in the courtyard of a building.
2022 for CSS
Team meeting at the Baden agency.
Semipalatinsk (since 2007 Semey), Kazakhstan, 2010
Maira Shumageldina with her daughter Shannur in her house in Semipalatinsk. The daughter, born in 1992, is one of the officially recognized victims of the atomic bomb testing. Many struggle in vain to achieve recognition as victims of radiation.
Shushi, unrecognized Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh, 2011
The city was considered an example of the peaceful co-existence of Shiite Azerbaijani and Christian Armenians. Today, there are no remaining Muslims living in Nagorno-Karabakh.
2022 for Wochenzeitung WOZ
Dr. Philipp von Brandenstein, Head of Corporate Communications at the German armaments group 'Rheinmetall' at the presentation of the new 'Panther KF51' main battle tank. For the first time after the pandemic, the world's largest arms fair 'Eurosatory' was held again in the north of Paris. From June 13 to 17, 2022, 57,000 people visited the fair, which this time was also marked by the special circumstances of the current Ukraine war.
2021 for Seraina Sattler and Anna Six
Peter Biefer. He grew up as the child of a well-to-do middle-class family until the third grade. Then his mother moved in with a woman. He lacked a male role model for a long time – today he calls the two women his parents. (Introduction to the portrait in the book Anders Aufgewachsen by Seraina Sattler and Anna Six).
Bethlehem, West Bank, 2016
Young residents of the Dheisheh refugee camp paint an image of the martyr Ali Motaz Zawahra using a projection as an aid. The young man was shot on October 13, 2015 during violent confrontations with the Israel Defense Forces in Bethlehem.
2015 for Fastenopfer
Burkina Faso, Alga. View over the artisanal gold mine called Alga. Numerous holes are leading into the depth. Around 20,000 artisanal miners are digging here for gold manually.
2022 for Wochenzeitung WOZ
Talks at the stand of the Spanish armaments group 'SDLE - Star Defence Logistics & Engineering'. For the first time after the pandemic, the world's largest arms fair 'Eurosatory' was held again in the north of Paris. From June 13 to 17, 2022, 57,000 people visited the fair, which this time was also marked by the special circumstances of the current Ukraine war.
Living miracle; Carlos Arturo Ibañez Rojas, 44, Spain
“What I want most, what I want, what I want. What I want most is to dance with you, to sing with you, to play with you, to jump with you. I dream of you.”
Bethlehem, West Bank, 2016
Young men move into formation for a march through the city for the 51st anniversary of the Fatah. Yasser Arafat, among others, founded the Fatah in 1959 as a guerilla organization. It was officially recognized in 1964 with the enacting of a policy statement, which included the stated goals of ‘complete liberation of Palestine,’ and the ‘founding of an independent, democratic state with Jerusalem as capital.’ In 1965 the Fatah began with military operations against Israel, which is why the founding is dated as January 1st of that year.
Zurich, Switzerland, 2023
Instructions for the Orchid Lego kit from the Bontanical Collection.
Grozny, Chechnya, Russian Federation, 2003
In the center of the city near the market.
2023 for Schaffhauser Wirtschaft
Janine Dahinden, professor of Transnational Studies at University of Neuchâtel.
Stepanakert, unrecognized Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh, 2011
The city was heavily damaged by Azerbaijani rocket fire in early 1992.
2015 for Fastenopfer
Burkina Faso, near Tikaré. A minor artisanal miner is coming out of his hole after the shift. The artisanal gold mine Balong Tanga is located close to the village Tikaré.
Duma, West Bank, 2015
On July 31, 2015, radical Jewish settlers carried out an arson attack on two houses of the Palestinian Dawabsha family. An 18-month old Palestinian boy was killed. His parents later succumbed to their injuries, leaving their four-year-old son as the only survivor. Private efforts exist to preserve the burnt down houses as a museum.
Semipalatinsk (since 2007 Semey), Kazakhstan, 2010
A painting by Alexander Shevchenko. He served as a soldier on the Polygon Semipalatinsk testing grounds from 1947 to 1951 and then painted forty-eight paintings of the atomic tests. They have not yet been exhibited.
Near Kibbutz Merom Golan, Golan Heights, 2017
A destroyed minaret bears witness to the Syrian past in the Golan Heights. Apparently, there was once a Cherkess village here, but it was destroyed in the Six-Day War.
Volgograd (1925–1961 Stalingrad), Russian Federation, 2009
In the State Center for Supplementary Education for Children, GuardPost No. 1, a pupil stands as honorary guard at the eternal fire. In the Soviet Union, school children were trained to do this task so that they could feel the weight of the weapon, among other reasons. According to official information, this fosters patriotic qualities in Russia’s citizens.
2022 for CSS
Stepanakert, unrecognized Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh, 2011
As always on the two major national holidays, May 9 and September 2, the entire power elite marches from Independence Square to the memorial complex near the Heroes’ Cemetery, which is roughly one kilometer away. From left, Dignitary of the Armenian Church, President of Nagorno-Karabakh, Bako Sahakyan. Nagorno-Karabakh has considered itself an independent state since September 2, 1991, but isrecognized by almost no other country.
2023 for Georg Utz AG
Test shoot with employees of Georg Utz AG for the subsequent photo of the management.
2020 for Historisches Museum Thurgau
"Tresterstöckli" machine 1st quarter 20th century. This mincer-like machine was used to produce "Tresterstöckli", which were dried and used as a popular heating fuel. A very sustainable ecological use, in which all by-products were recycled without producing waste (apple, must, brandy, fuel, ash for fertilizer).
Paris, France, 2014
Live demonstration on the theme of deployment against troublemakers at the ‹Eurosatory› arms fair. Every other year the world’s largest arms show takes place in Paris
Dolon, Kazakhstan, 2010
Ludmila Shakhvorostova with her two mentally handicapped sons: Alexander, born in 1958, and Anatoli, born in 1956. Ludmila experienced the atomic bomb tests up close. The greatest worry of the eighty-year-old is the question of who will take care of her sons after she dies.
View of Shushi, unrecognized Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh, 2011
Herodion, West Bank, 2015
Herodion was built in the years 24 to 12 BC by Herod the Great as a palace fortress. Located today in Israeli occupied Palestinian territory, the Herodion hill and the archeological site beneath the slope belong to an Israeli nature preserve.
On the former Polygon Semipalatinsk nuclear weapons testing grounds, Kazakhstan, 2010
Between 1949 and 1989, 456 atomic tests took place here, first above ground; and from 1961, below ground.
Kiev, Ukraine, 2007
View from the“Motherland Calls” statue to the Dnieper.
Beersheba, Israel, 2017
Military plane on a spinning top.
2024 for bref – Das Magazin der Reformierten
Rehearsal for ‹Das Grosse Welttheater› in a multi-purpose hall in Einsiedeln.
Gaza City, Shejaiya, Gaza Strip, 2017
The Gaza Juice Factory, destroyed in the last war in 2014, once produced orange juice. It is in Shejaiya, an eastern suburb, and therefore directly adjacent to the Israeli border.
2020 for Seraina Sattler and Anna Six
Sara Stöcklin. Her parents were hippie Christians; she herself wanted to be baptized in the bathtub at the age of four. Faith remained important in her life – but she broke away from the free church. (Introduction of the portrait in the book Anders Aufgewachsen von Seraina Sattler und Anna Six).
Jerusalem, Israel, 2014
Included in the Yad Vashem Holocaust Remembrance Center is the Memorial to the Deportees. This genuine German railway car was used for transportation to the concentration camps.
Army Base Tze’elim, near Kibbutz Tze’elim, Israel, 2017
Army Base Tze’elim, near Kibbutz Tze’elim, Israel. The model Palestinian city Lashabiya is part of the Israel Defense Forces’ urban warfare training center. After the experiences of the Second Intifada and the Second Lebanon War, the army leadership demanded better training for fighting in clearly defined urban centers.
Near Askeran, unrecognized Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh, 2012
The staff of a de-mining organization shows a school class the proper treatment of the remains of the war—ammunition, mines, and ‹UXO› (unexploded ordnance). Not knowing any better, children play with ammunition from the war and seriously injure themselves.
On the road to Shushi, unrecognized Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh, 2011
The T-72-tank was used by the Armenians in the capture of Shushi in 1992, and is set up as a memorial.
2024 for bref – Das Magazin der Reformierten
Rehearsal for ‹Das Grosse Welttheater› in a multi-purpose hall in Einsiedeln.
2020 for Seraina Sattler and Anna Six
Tania Schellenberg. Her parents worked as development aid workers in Lebanon and Pakistan. She attended international schools and had little insight into the local culture – nevertheless, returning to Switzerland at the age of fifteen was a shock. (Introduction to the portrait in the book Anders Aufgewachsen by Seraina Sattler and Anna Six).
Ein Gedi, Israel, 2016
Sinkholes in the abandoned tourist resort of Ein Gedi on the shore of the Dead Sea. The sinkholes are a result of the decreasing water level of the Dead Sea.
2011 for Fastenopfer
Democratic Republic Of The Congo, Kamatanda near Likasi. Restaurant in the settlement of the artisanal copper and cobalt mine of Kamatanda. The dwellings are very simple: timber scaffoldings stringed with canvas.
Gaza City, Gaza Strip, 2017
An employee produces an artificial leg in the prosthesis and polio center. The three Gaza Wars, 2008/2009, 2012, and 2014, led to numerous amputations, which are treated here.
2021 for Schaffhauser Meisterkurse
Cellist Sarah Moser from the Mosertrio shortly before the final concert.
Kiev, Ukraine, 2007
Front square of the National Museum of the History of the Great Patriotic War 1941–1945.
2022 for Kinderhilfe Bethlehem
Linguistic-cognitive assessment of a patient at Caritas Baby Hospital in Bethlehem. It is the only hospital in the West Bank that cares exclusively for children.
2018 for Fastenopfer
Resident of the Congolese village of Kaindu.
2020 for Seraina Sattler and Anna Six
Séni Djigaou. He grew up in Cameroon in a mud hut and as a street child. Terre des hommes brought him to Switzerland as a ten-year-old to operate on his club feet – since then he has been moving between two cultures. (Introduction to the portrait in the book Anders Aufgewachsen by Seraina Sattler and Anna Six).
2021 for Schaffhauser Meisterkurse
The cello before the final concert.
Paris, France, 2014
Every other year the world’s largest arms show takes place in Paris. Uralvagonzavod is one of the most important manufacturers of tanks and other war equipment. The Russian firm goes back to Stalin’s weapons industry, which also built the legendary T-34 tank. In World War II this tank was superior to the German tanks and contributed greatly to the victory over the Wehrmacht.
2015 for Fastenopfer
Burkina Faso, near Souryala. A 62-years old farmer from the village Souryala is standing on his field which he can’t plant any more. In August 2012 a retention basin of the industrial gold mine Bissa was broken. Therefore his field is flooded until now.
2021 for De Tijd
Luc D’hooge, Senior Portfolio Manager at Vontobel Asset Management AG.
Gaza City, Gaza Strip, 2017
Palestinians at the grave of the martyr Muhammad Majid Bakr shortly after his funeral in the Al-Shati refugee camp, also known as Beach camp because of its close proximity to the sea. The young fisherman had been shot the previous day, on the Day of Nakba, by the Israel Defense Forces. The Day of Nakba (‹Catastrophe›) commemorates the expulsion of the Palestinians in 1948. According to information from the army, the fishing boat was outside of the fishing zone allowed by Israel. The fishermen did not react to shots fired into the air, shots were subsequently fired at the boat.
2022 for laut & leise – Magazin der Stellen für Suchtprävention im Kanton Zürich
After an extraction process lasting several hours, the CO2 extraction machine produces an extract from the dried flowers of the CBD hemp plant, which is then processed into CBD products.
2022 for laut & leise – Magazin der Stellen für Suchtprävention im Kanton Zürich
Freshly harvested CBD cannabis plants in the greenhouses of the company SwissExtract in Ried near Kerzers.
Rawabi, between Ramallah and Nablus, West Bank, 2014
A three-dimensional model of the finished homes at the showroom for the major Rawabi building project. This is not a planned Jewish settlement, but rather, a planned community designed for the wealthy Palestinian middle class.
Near Kfar Tabor, Israel, 2015
Many young Israelis strive to serve their military duty in an elite unit of the Israel Defense Forces, at all costs. They participate in private preparatory courses to train for the rigorous qualifying exam. At Kadoori Agricultural High School, students practice combat readiness and the capture of a building.
2021 for Schaffhauser Meisterkurse
Suggestions are written directly into the score.
Jenin, West Bank, 2015
The only presence of Ali Abdelatif Sais Qanniri (born 1979) is given through a poster at his home. He was a fighter of the Battle of Jenin (2002), managed to go underground afterwards but was caught four years later and since then he is kept in prison for lifetime sentence. On the poster it’s written in red letters: lions will stay lions for ever. His son Senat (born 1999) on the left side and his mother Latifa (born 1935) on the right side are allowed to visit him twice a year for half an hour.
Agdam, unrecognized Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh, 2012
Cows graze in front of the mosque, the only semi-preserved building in the city of Agdam, which was destroyed by Armenia in 1993. The cows also use it as a shelter. ‹National and Cultural Monument, Protected by the State› and ‹Persian Mosque 1833–1856› can be read on a marble panel. Agdam had roughly 50,000 inhabitants before the war, almost exclusively Muslim Azerbaijani. Today, there are no longer any Muslims living in Nagorno-Karabakh.
Amona, West Bank, 2017
Amona, founded by Jewish settlers in 1995 and recently evacuated by Israel, was set up on private Palestinian property. A first evacuation took place in 2006, which, like the one on February 1, 2017, was carried out with major police presence and against the fierce resistance of the settlers.
2020 for Historisches Museum Thurgau
Fermentation bung ("Gärspund"), 4th quarter 19th century. Both Sauser and cider wagons were loaded with barrels and drove to the customers. The fermentation bung ("Gärspund") was placed on the opening of the barrel to allow fermentation gases to escape and prevent the barrels from exploding, while at the same time preventing any liquid from spilling over. It was tied to the barrel with leather straps.
Paris, France, 2014
The Russian arms firm Rosoboronexport’s display at the Eurosatory arms show. 1, 504 exhibitors from 58 countries draw roughly 55, 770 visitors, including 172 official delegations from 88 countries. Rosoboronexport is the legal successor of the state arms exporter of the Soviet Union and currently handles 90 percent of Russia’s arms sales.
Beltring, Kent, England, 2009
Participants at the ‹War & Peace Show› in costumes from the Australian action film ‹Mad Max›. Each year in July the War & Peace Show takes place in the county of Kent in southern England. This is a large Living History Event whereby plays re-enacting World War II are particularly popular. People who cultivate such a hobby call themselves re-enactors, and allegedly it is their greatest concern to make history tangible for others and thereby to sharpen their consciousness for the horrors of war.
2014 for winery Schlossgut Bachtobel
Volgograd (1925–1961 Stalingrad), Russian Federation, 2009
On May 9, the Day of Victory, thousands visit the Hall of War Fame and its eternal fire. At the official opening of the memorial site in 1967, the flame was lit by Leonid Brezhnev. Strung above, directly below the ceiling, is the black-orange ribbon of the Soviet troops, with the inscription: “Yes, we were simply mortal, only few of us survived, but we all fulfilled our patriotic duties to our holy motherland.”
Mardakert, unrecognized Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh, 2011
Svetlana Karapitian in her house. The portraits on the wall show her two missing sons, Armen born in 1974 and Kamo born in 1968. Both joined a group of partisans in 1988 and have been considered missing since 1992. Immediately after she found out, both of her legs were paralyzed. She has been in a wheelchair ever since. One of her two daughters died in a bombing in 1991.
Stepanakert, unrecognized Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh, 2011
In the park next to Independence Square.
2021 for Schaffhauser Meisterkurse
Reto Bieri with violinists Hani Song (left) and Julia Schuller (center).
2024 for bref – Das Magazin der Reformierten
Rehearsal for ‹Das Grosse Welttheater› in a multi-purpose hall in Einsiedeln.
Near Latrun, Israel, 2014
A model of the Wailing Wall and the Dome of the Rock in the Mini Israel amusement park. Presented here are roughly 350 places of interest in Israel at a scale of 1:25. The park is located west of Jerusalem, in a zone that was demilitarized until 1967, and fell under Israeli control after the Six-Day War. Israel considers these grounds as part of its state territory, the Palestinians see them as part of the former West Bank.
2022 for Wochenzeitung WOZ
Apéro at the booth of the Swedish manufacturer 'Saab'. For the first time after the pandemic, the world's largest arms fair 'Eurosatory' was held again in the north of Paris. From June 13 to 17, 2022, 57,000 people visited the fair, which this time was also marked by the special circumstances of the current Ukraine war.
Sleptsovskaya, Ingushetia, Russian Federation, 2003
Tank trucks provide the water supply in the refugee camps for the internally displaced Chechens.
2024 for Kinderhilfe Bethlehem
At home with a Caritas Baby Hospital patient. The hospital in Bethlehem is the only one in the West Bank that cares exclusively for children.
Zurich, Switzerland, 2023
Part number 3 of the Lego kit from the Botanical Collection, Orchid. The kit consists of 608 parts.
2020 for Historisches Museum Thurgau
Papin's pot, 19th century. A forerunner of the modern pressure cooker, named after its inventor, the physicist Denis Papin. During the famine of 1817, the canton of Thurgau purchased such pots to cook soup for the poor. The high pressure meant that more nutritional value could be extracted from the added bones. Although solidly built and equipped with a pressure relief valve, there were also explosions, although fortunately no one was injured.
2021 for Georg Utz AG
Production at the factory in Bremgarten.
Qalqilya, West Bank, 2013
At 4 a.m., hundreds of Palestinians who work in Israel wait to be admitted at the checkpoint in Qalqilya. Around 60,000 Palestinians have an employment license for Israel. A further ca. 30,000 work in the Israeli settlements or in the industrial zones of the West Bank. Added to that are many Palestinians who work illegally in Israel.
2022 for Wochenzeitung WOZ
Australian military personnel at the aperitif in the Australian pavilion. For the first time after the pandemic, the world's largest arms fair 'Eurosatory' was held again in the north of Paris. From June 13 to 17, 2022, 57,000 people visited the fair, which this time was also marked by the special circumstances of the current Ukraine war.
Ratzi, Switzerland, 2022
Room of the Ratzi mountain guesthouse with Phalaenopsis.
2015 for Fastenopfer
Burkina Faso, Alga. Artisanal miners at the gold mine Alga are taking a break. Around 20,000 artisanal miners are digging here for gold manually.
2023 for Historisches Museum Thurgau
High-altitude sun, light shower, mountain sun, 1940-1945.
2015 for Fastenopfer
Burkina Faso, Alga. A thirteen years old boy at the artisanal gold mine Alga is having lunch together with artisanal miners working all for the same patron. The boy is responsible for cooking and carrying the water.
Stepanakert, unrecognized Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh, 2011
Boris Babajan plays violin at the Heroes’ Cemetery at the grave of a soldier who died in the Nagorno-Karabakh War. He was an artillery soldier during the war, but did not participate in the fighting. However, he began to play the violin at the funerals for fallen colleagues. He also does this now on important memorial days and holidays, but sometimes also entirely alone, for no special occasion.
2015 for Fastenopfer
Burkina Faso, Bissa. The members of a resettled family are standing in the ruins of their former house. The family, like all the other people of the village Bissa, has been relocated to a newly built village close by, because of the activities of the gold mine. In the background the slag heap of the industrial gold mine called Bissa, which is run by Nordgold.
Beltring, Kent, England, 2009
Re-enactors in the German ‹Waffen-SS› uniform on their way to the mock battle. Each year in July the War & Peace Show takes place in the county of Kent in southern England. This is a large Living History Event whereby plays re-enacting World War II are particularly popular. People who cultivate such a hobby call themselves re-enactors, and allegedly it is their greatest concern to make history tangible for others and thereby to sharpen their consciousness for the horrors of war.
Jenin, West Bank, 2015
A model of the Battle of Jenin is displayed in the community center on the occasion of the Memorial Day. The Battle of Jenin took place in April 2002 during the Second Intifada in the refugee camp of Jenin. The Israel Defense Forces penetrated the camp and partially destroyed it because it was considered the base of operations for the frequent suicide bombings at the time. In the course of this, between fifty-two and fifty-four Palestinians and twenty-three Israeli soldiers were killed. After the battle, Yasser Arafat spoke of ‹Jeningrad’ with reference to Stalingrad.
Beita, West Bank, 2017
Residents of Beita perform Friday prayers outside in the street to demonstrate solidarity with Palestinians imprisoned in Israeli prisons. The prisoners are on a hunger strike. The hunger strike is one of the largest in years. The demands include access to telephones, more visiting rights, and better medical care. Currently, 6,500 Palestinians are being held in Israeli prisons. Many are denied the right to a trial.
Kiev, Ukraine, 2007
One of the fourteen large halls in the National Museum of the History of the Great Patriotic War 1941–1945. The museum, in the base of the “Motherland Calls” statue, is very popular. Seventy percent of the visitors are children and young adults.
Bir Nabala, West Bank, 2013
An important road once ran through here. Since the building of the wall, this neighborhood resembles a ghost town.
2024 for bref – Das Magazin der Reformierten
Rehearsal for ‹Das Grosse Welttheater› in a multi-purpose hall in Einsiedeln.
2022 for Kinderhilfe Bethlehem
Boy at the market in the Old City of Bethlehem in the West Bank.
Volgograd (1925–1961 Stalingrad), Russian Federation, 2009
Honorary guard of the Russian army in the Hall of War Fame. Thirty-four flags of mourning hang on the walls with the names of soldiers who fell during the battle of Stalingrad.
2021 for Schaffhauser Meisterkurse
The young cellist Sarah Moser.
Paris, France, 2014
Simulation and training at a stand during the ‹Eurosatory› arms fair. Every other year the world’s largest arms show takes place in Paris.
2015 for Kinderhilfe Bethlehem
A young patient at the Caritas Baby Hospital in Bethlehem (Palestine) with his mother.
Semipalatinsk (since 2007 Semey), Kazakhstan, 2010
Berik Sysdikov, born in 1979, holds his nephew on his lap. Berik’s mother lived as a herder with her husband close to the Polygon Semipalatinsk atomic testing grounds. She saw two atomic mushrooms, just a few days apart. Between 1949 and 1989, 456 atomic bombs were set off in the framework of the Soviet nuclear weapons testing program.
Jerusalem, Israel, 2017
Memorial Day for the Fallen Soldiers of Israel and Victims of Terrorism, Yom Hazikaron at the military cemetery on Mount Herzl. One week before Yom Hazikaron is the Memorial Day for the Holocaust and Heroism, Yom HaShoah. Thus, one week of every year is influenced by mourning and contemplation, which then turn to pleasure overnight: The Day of Independence Yom Ha’atzmaut is celebrated on the day after Yom Hazikaron.
2011 for Fastenopfer
Democratic Republic Of The Congo, Kamatanda near Likasi. Artisanal miners in the copper and cobalt mine of Kamatanda are building a so called chain. Passing the sacks filled with the ore from man to man, they bring the material from the depth to the surface. In every rechargeable battery there is cobalt; about half the world-wide annual consumption of cobalt comes from the Congo and, in turn, about half of this is exploited in an artisanal manner.
2020 for Seraina Sattler and Anna Six
Samira El Ghatta. She did for her mother what mothers usually do for their children: she taught her how to ride a bike, packed her suitcases, and accompanied her to the doctor. The frailty of her mother created a close bond – after her death, the daughter encountered life anew. (Introduction to the portrait in the book Anders Aufgewachsen by Seraina Sattler and Anna Six).
Ramallah, West Bank, 2013
Skirmish between Palestinian youth and the Israel Defense Forces at the separation wall near the Ofer prison close to Ramallah. Every Friday after prayers there are demonstrations against the occupation in the West Bank. These regularly turn into unevenly matched battles: stones against tear gas, rubber bullets, and sometimes also live ammunition. Frequent injuries and sometimes casualties occur.
De Lier, Netherlands, 2023
Showroom of the Dutch Phalaenopsis producer Sion.
Volgograd (1925–1961 Stalingrad), Russian Federation, 2009
Festivities for the Day of Victory on May 9.
2021 for Georg Utz AG
Januz Lubishtani, employee at Georg Utz AG.
Near Kibbutz Kalya, West Bank, 2016
The closed-down Atraktzia Amusement Park, not far from Kalia beach on the Dead Sea. The water park was popular throughout Israel among both Palestinians and Israelis. It, too, was closed in 2000, at the start of the Second Intifada, as a result of the political tensions.
2021 for Georg Utz AG
Production at the factory in Bremgarten.
Volgograd (1925–1961 Stalingrad), Russian Federation, 2009
In front of the federal Volgograd State Museum “Battle of Stalingrad.” The World War II ruin is preserved as a memorial.
2015 for Fastenopfer
Burkina Faso, Alga. A thirteen years old boy at the artisanal gold mine Alga is towing water for the patron and his workers.
2024 for bref – Das Magazin der Reformierten
Rehearsal for ‹Das Grosse Welttheater› in a multi-purpose hall in Einsiedeln. The author Lukas Bärfuss in conversation.
2024 for bref – Das Magazin der Reformierten
Rehearsal for ‹Das Grosse Welttheater› in a multi-purpose hall in Einsiedeln.
2022 for laut & leise – Magazin der Stellen für Suchtprävention im Kanton Zürich
THC cannabis plants for research in the greenhouse of the company SwissExtract in Ried near Kerzers are protected by a grid.
2022 for Wochenzeitung WOZ
During an aperitif at the stand of the Swedish manufacturer 'Saab', serious discussions also take place: Italian military listening. For the first time after the pandemic, the world's largest arms fair 'Eurosatory' was held again in the north of Paris. From June 13 to 17, 2022, 57,000 people visited the fair, which this time was also marked by the special circumstances of the current Ukraine war.
2022 for laut & leise – Magazin der Stellen für Suchtprävention im Kanton Zürich
Freshly delivered CBD cannabis seedlings, which are later planted out in SwissExtract's greenhouses in Ried near Kerzers.
2022 for Wochenzeitung WOZ
Photo session with military personnel at the stand of the Italian company 'Cristanini'. For the first time after the pandemic, the world's largest arms fair 'Eurosatory' was held again in the north of Paris. From June 13 to 17, 2022, 57,000 people visited the fair, which this time was also marked by the special circumstances of the current Ukraine war.
Karabulak, Ingushetia, Russian Federation, 2003
Chechens in the Karer refugee camp.
Jenin, West Bank, 2015
Palestinian paintball players.
2022 for laut & leise – Magazin der Stellen für Suchtprävention im Kanton Zürich
CBD oil is filled into bottles for sale.
2024 for bref – Das Magazin der Reformierten
Rehearsal for ‹Das Grosse Welttheater› outside a multi-purpose hall in Einsiedeln.
2021 for Historisches Museum Thurgau
Head of a brown cattle bull, stuffing preparation, teaching aid at an agricultural school, around 1910.
2022 for Wochenzeitung WOZ
Every day, various so-called live demonstrations take place in the outdoor area of the fair. In the picture the highlight of the demonstration of the land forces of France. For the first time after the pandemic, the world's largest arms fair 'Eurosatory' was held again in the north of Paris. From June 13 to 17, 2022, 57,000 people visited the fair, which this time was also marked by the special circumstances of the current Ukraine war.
De Lier, Netherlands, 2023
Greenhouses of the Dutch Phalaenopsis producer Sion with a high degree of automation.
2020 for Seraina Sattler and Anna Six
Jasmin Maggetti. She was taken away from her mother shortly after the birth. Until she was four years old, she lived in thirteen foster families, then she came to her adoptive parents. Her origin was a taboo – she knows most of her history from the files. (Introduction to the portrait in the book Anders Aufgewachsen by Seraina Sattler and Anna Six).
2021 for Schaffhauser Meisterkurse
Cellist Balázs Dolfin listening to a lecturer.
2021 for Schaffhauser Meisterkurse
The young pianist Benjámin Forgó.
Stepanakert, unrecognized Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh, 2012
The awards ceremony for a writing contest for recruits takes place at the Museum for Missing Soldiers from the Nagorno-Karabakh War. The task was to write a text on the theme ‹my homeland.› On the wall are scenes from the war and portraits of the missing. Present are also veterans, such as Argen Grigorian, who lost a leg in 1994.
2011 for Fastenopfer
Democratic Republic Of The Congo, Kamatanda near Likasi. At the river called Kamatanda in the artisanal copper and cobalt mine of Kamatanda people are washing the ore. Also at the river the washed ore is being sold to the brokers. In every rechargeable battery there is cobalt; about half the world-wide annual consumption of cobalt comes from the Congo and, in turn, about half of this is exploited in an artisanal manner.
2021 for Schaffhauser Meisterkurse
Clarinetist Reto Bieri giving a lecture.
Aboud, West Bank, 2015
Palestinian men mourn Abed al-Rahman Barghouthi (26), who was shot by the Israel Defense Forces. According to the Israelis, Abed wanted to attack a soldier with a knife. According to the Palestinians, Abed was shot in cold blood and the Israelis subsequently placed a knife alongside his dead body. Knife attacks by Palestinians were a daily occurrence during this period, and as a rule, the attackers were shot on the spot.
2016 for School of Management Fribourg
Volgograd (1925–1961 Stalingrad), Russian Federation, 2009
Olga, waitress in the restaurant Schützengraben, wears a Soviet uniform from the World War II era. The restaurant is part of the memorial complex on Mamajev Kurgan. During the battle of Stalingrad, this hill was bitterly fought for.
Kurchatov, Kazakhstan, 2010
World War II memorial in the city named after the ‹father of the atomic bomb,› Igor Kurchatov. It was the administration and control center of the Polygon Semipalatinsk restricted area.
Southeast of Kibbutz Snir, Golan Heights, 2017
Young Israelis in the ruins of the Syrian village Ain Fit. The village was destroyed in the Six-Day War.
2022 for laut & leise – Magazin der Stellen für Suchtprävention im Kanton Zürich
Dried THC flower for the research project approved by the Swiss Federal Office of Public Health.
The doctor; Serhat Öztürk, 30, Turkey
“I would like to be a doctor because I want to help everyone. I would like to heal patients by operating, prescribing medication and talking to the sick.”
Beltring, Kent, England, 2009
Re-enactor in the German uniform of WWII after the mock battle. Each year in July the War & Peace Show takes place in the county of Kent in southern England. This is a large Living History Event whereby plays re-enacting World War II are particularly popular. People who cultivate such a hobby call themselves re-enactors, and allegedly it is their greatest concern to make history tangible for others and thereby to sharpen their consciousness for the horrors of war.
Nablus, West Bank, 2015
The only presence of the family man Khalid Ekdiesh is given through a portrait at the home of the Ekdiesh family in the Balata refugee camp. He was a leader of the Second Intifada and is accused of having supplied the Al Aksa Brigades with arms. Since 12 years he has been arrested in an Israeli prison.
2023 for Kinderhilfe Bethlehem
View of the West Bank from the balcony of a residential building under construction right next to the Caritas Baby Hospital. The Herodion can be seen in the background.
2024 for bref – Das Magazin der Reformierten
Rehearsal for ‹Das Grosse Welttheater› in a multi-purpose hall in Einsiedeln.
2024 for bref – Das Magazin der Reformierten
Preparations for the performances take place on the monastery square in Einsiedeln.
2021 for Schaffhauser Meisterkurse
The young violinist Hani Song.
Nablus, West Bank, 2013
Around 25 000 Palestinians live in the so called refugee camp Balata in an area of around 1 square kilometer. Regarding the area, it’s the smallest camp of the 19 refugee camps in the West Bank, regarding the population the biggest one. In 1950, the United Nations (UN) gave the refugees from the Jaffa area temporary housing in long rows of tents. In 1956, the refugees desired more permanent housing. After the border with the State of Israel was sealed, the refugees moved into concrete housing that replaced the original tents.
Hebron, West Bank, 2017
An Israeli soldier jokes around with a settler who has dressed up for Purim. Purim is a joyful festival. People dress up in costumes and the drinks flow. The celebration is of the Persian Jews in the biblical era. At the time, Queen Esther was able to protect the Jewish people in the Persian Empire from annihilation. Roughly 800 religious settlers live in the historical center of Hebron, and thereby in the midst of the Palestinian population. Military infrastructure, such as walls, checkpoints, and also the massive and permanent presence of the army provide for the settlers’ safety.
Moscow, Russian Federation, 2003
The son of a displaced Chechen, who has found shelter with an elderly Russian woman in Moscow. Around fifteen refugees live in the one-room apartment free of charge, but they have pledged to care for the woman.
Near Agdam, unrecognized Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh, 2011
Cemetery for fallen Muslims. The offspring cannot visit the graves. All Muslim Azerbaijani have been expelled.
2022 for laut & leise – Magazin der Stellen für Suchtprävention im Kanton Zürich
CBD hemp plants on a former Swiss Post car that were uprooted due to an illness.
2022 for Contura
Photographer Guido Baselgia in the camera obscura he helped develop on the top floor of the salt and gravel silo on the Bernina Pass.
On the former nuclear weapons testing grounds Polygon Semipalatinsk, Kazakhstan, 2010
Remains of measuring stations that were built at regular intervals around the epicenter of the above-ground atomic bomb tests. Metal collectors dig up the wires from the earth because they are able to sell them.
2024 for Kinderhilfe Bethlehem
The excursion destination Battir in the West Bank.
Kurchatov, Kazakhstan, 2010
Children’s playground in Kurchatov. The city was the administration center of the former restricted area at the Polygon Semipalatinsk nuclear weapons testing grounds.
Tel Aviv, Israel, 2015
At the Museum for the History of the Israel Defense Forces.
Stepanakert, unrecognized Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh, 2011
On September 2, 2011, the twentieth anniversary of the founding of Nagorno-Karabakh. Depicted on the poster is the parliament.
Um al Kher, West Bank, 2014
A Bedouin woman at a baking oven on the periphery of the Bedouin settlement of Um al Kher. Behind him are houses belonging to an extension of the Jewish settlement of Karmel.
Moshav Shibolim, Israel, 2015
Under commission from the local authorities, the artist Eliasaf Myara paints an air raid shelter meant to provide protection in the case of a rocket attack from the Gaza strip. The painting depicts Jerusalem. Israel has been fired at from the Gaza Strip since 2001. Cities and settlements such as Sderot, Ashkelon, Netivot, and the surrounding kibbutzim bear the brunt of the attacks.
Grozny, Chechnya, Russian Federation, 2003
Salpa Kamurkayeva in her destroyed apartment. She now lives on the first floor of the same building.
Semipalatinsk (since 2007 Semey), Kazakhstan, 2010
Wedding celebration at the memorial for the victims of Soviet nuclear testing. On the weekend, couples pass through every five minutes. The doves can be rented from a merchant; they fly back to their cages.
Near Askeran, unrecognized Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh, 2011
Anti-tank mines and ‹UXO› (unexploded ordnance) that could be gathered through the de-mining of the country; they were made harmless by controlled blasting. Nearly twenty years after the signing of a ceasefire, the country is neither entirely demined nor freed of dangerous ammunition remains. Due to the great dependency on agriculture, demining remains a central concern.
South of Rafah, Gaza Strip, 2016
The destroyed Yasser Arafat International Airport near the Egyptian border. The Oslo treaties granted the Palestinians the right to construct the airport. The airport was opened in 1998, with Bill Clinton present, and immediately became a national symbol of Palestinian independence. The Israel Defense Forces destroyed the airport during the Second Intifada. Afterward, it became a source of building material for the Palestinians.
2022 for Swissinfo
Emanuel Hurwitz resigned from the Social Democratic Party in 1984 in protest against anti-Semitic tendencies. He died in February 2022.
Kazakh military during a presentation of the French arms company 'Arquus'. For the first time after the pandemic, the world's largest arms fair 'Eurosatory' was held again in the north of Paris. From June 13 to 17, 2022, 57,000 people visited the fair, which this time was also marked by the special circumstances of the current Ukraine war.
Semipalatinsk (since 2007 Semey), Kazakhstan, 2010
A painting by Alexander Shevchenko. He served as a soldier on the Polygon Semipalatinsk testing grounds from 1947 to 1951 and then painted forty-eight paintings of the atomic tests. They have not yet been exhibited.
2020 for Historisches Museum Thurgau
Fruit grater (“Obsträtze”). In contrast to mills, which squeeze the fruit, fruit graters (“Obsträtzen”) have a rapidly rotating wooden roller with saw-like rows of teeth under the hopper. The fruit, which is pushed to the side by several “plungers” or “plugs”, ("Stösseln" oder "Stöpseln") is ground into a pulp, “grated” ("gerätzt"). This more easily transportable and less expensive alternative to roller stone mills was probably first presented in Switzerland at the agricultural exhibition in Weinfelden in 1873.
Near Askeran, unrecognized Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh, 2011
Controlled explosion of mines and ‹UXO› (unexploded ordnance) on army training grounds. Nearly twenty years after the ceasefire agreement, the country is neither entirely demined nor cleared of dangerous ammunition remains.
2022 for Kinderhilfe Bethlehem
View over the old town of Bethlehem in the West Bank.
Karabulak, Ingushetia, Russian Federation, 2003
Chechens in a closed-down cement factory, that was set up under the name Karer as a refugee camp for internally displaced persons.
2022 for Swissinfo
Anna Rosenwasser.
2020 for Psychiatrische Universitätsklinik Zürich, PUK
Stepanakert, unrecognized Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh, 2011
Pupils in the ninth class in the School No. 10 practicing gymnastics during the ‹military preparation› class. In the weekly class, among other things, the students have shooting instruction and learn the structure of the armed forces of Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh. At the end of each school year they visit a military base to carry out a shooting exercise in the field with live ammunition. This type of instruction was a fixed part of the curriculum throughout the Soviet Union. In Nagorno-Karabakh it was merely adapted to the present situation.