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.
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.
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.
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.
Sleptsovskaya, Ingushetia, Russian Federation, 2003
Young Chechen refugees in the Sputnik tent camp watch an airplane.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Sleptsovskaya, Ingushetia, Russian Federation, 2003
Displaced Chechen woman with her daughter.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Jenin, West Bank, 2015
Palestinian paintball players.
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.
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.
Sleptsovskaya, Ingushetia, Russian Federation, 2003
Tank trucks provide the water supply in the refugee camps for the internally displaced Chechens.
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
Chechens in the Karer refugee camp.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Beersheba, Israel, 2017
Military plane on a spinning top.
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.
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.
Near Nitzana, Israel, 2017
Military shoes on an abandoned Israel Defense Forces base.
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.
View of Shushi, unrecognized Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh, 2011
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.
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.
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.
Volgograd (1925–1961 Stalingrad), Russian Federation, 2009
Festivities for the Day of Victory on May 9.
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.
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.
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.
Salfit, West Bank, 2015
A Palestinian is searching in the open dump for metal that he can sell.
Stepanakert, unrecognized Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh, 2012
The day before the large military parade on May 9.
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.
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.
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.
North of Kharbatha Bani Harith, West Bank, 2017
North of Kharbatha Bani Harith.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.’
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Beersheba, Israel, 2015
Beersheba, Israel. Dance performance with disabled war veterans in wheelchairs.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Near Agdam, unrecognized Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh, 2011
Cemetery for fallen Muslims. The offspring cannot visit the graves. All Muslim Azerbaijani have been expelled.
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.
Near Askeran, unrecognized Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh, 2011
The remains of war on the military training grounds.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Grozny, Chechnya, Russian Federation, 2003
In the city center near the market.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Tel Aviv, Israel, 2015
At the Museum for the History of the Israel Defense Forces.
Stepanakert, unrecognized Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh, 2012
Gravestone of a soldier at the Heroes’ Cemetery.
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.”
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Sleptsovskaya, Ingushetia, Russian Federation, 2003
In Sputnik, a camp of tents and huts for internally displaced Chechens.
Mardakert, unrecognized Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh, 2011
Slaughtering a cow in the courtyard of a building.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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›.
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
Pereyaslav-Chmelnitzky, Ukraine, 2007
Diorama in the Museum of the Great Patriotic War, which is set up in a former church.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Sarzhal, Kazakhstan, 2010
Town sign for Sarzhal. The town is close to the former Polygon Semipalatinsk atomic testing grounds.
Sleptsovskaya, Ingushetia, Russian Federation, 2003
Internally displaced Chechens in the Sputnik tent camp.
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.
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.
Nazran, Ingushetia, Russian Federation, 2003
In the Café Tansila refugee camp for internally displaced Chechens, which is set up in a closed-down factory.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Semipalatinsk (since 2007 Semey), Kazakhstan, 2010
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.
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.
Herzlberg, Jerusalem, Israel, 2013
Preparations for a ceremony marking the 65th anniversary of the foundation of the State of Israel.
Kiev, Ukraine, 2007
View from the“Motherland Calls” statue to the Dnieper.
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
Sleptsovskaya, Ingushetia, Russian Federation, 2003
The Chechen Ibragim Chapulajev in his self-built house in the Sputnik refugee camp.
Shushi, unrecognized Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh, 2012
A Soviet World War II memorial: The gun holes are from the battle for Nagorno-Karabakh.
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, 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.
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.
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).
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Bir Nabala, West Bank, 2013
An important road once ran through here. Since the building of the wall, this neighborhood resembles a ghost town.
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.
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.
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.
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
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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).
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.
Tel Aviv, Israel, 2015
One hall of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) History Museum.
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.
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, 2011
The city was heavily damaged by Azerbaijani rocket fire in early 1992.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Karabulak, Ingushetia, Russian Federation, 2003
Chechen men at the MTF refugee camp.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Stepanakert, unrecognized Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh, 2011
In the park next to Independence Square.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
Gaza City, Gaza Strip, 2016
The artist Abed al-Baset paints a war victim in the backyard of his home.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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›.
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.
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.
Kiev, Ukraine, 2007
Front square of the National Museum of the History of the Great Patriotic War 1941–1945.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Grozny, Chechnya, Russian Federation, 2003
In the center of the city near the market.
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.
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.
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.”
Near Rafah, Gaza Strip, 2016
Palestinian women are enjoying the beach.
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.
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.
Volgograd (1925–1961 Stalingrad), Russian Federation, 2009
At the Federal Center for Supplemental Education for Children, Guard Post No. 1, children sing patriotic songs.
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.
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.
Tel Saki, Golan Heights, 2015
Military monument remembering the battle of Tel Saki during the Yom Kippur War 1973.
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, 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.
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.
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.
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.
Salfit, West Bank, 2015
An open dump.
Near Snamenka, Kazakhstan, 2010
The crater, which locals call ‹Lake Atom,› arose after an underground atomic bomb explosion in 1965.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Khan Yunis, Gaza Strip, 2017
Street scene with propaganda poster from the military’s information division.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
War without War