Wunderbilder

The photojournalist Wilhelm Pabst (1921-2009) lived in the Göppingen district from 1956 onwards. In his photo reports and commissioned works, Pabst documented in black and white not only the everyday and leisure life of the people in the district but also its economic profile, social processes, cultural events, and the transformation of local landscapes and transportation infrastructure. Thus, one can see long-gone images of crafts, agriculture, and retail, as well as the then-thriving production sites of Märklin, WMF, Kellerbau, Gralglas, Scheller, and Göppinger Mineralbrunnen. Prominent figures from politics, culture, and sports frequently appeared before Pabst's camera, as did the foreign workers referred to as guest workers, who were urgently needed. The great enthusiasm for sports among the people in the district is often captured, whether at the amateur level or during the triumphs of the Frisch Auf Göppingen club. The photographs of mutilated war veterans, returnees marked by long captivity, or malnourished guest children from Berlin serve as a poignant reminder that the era of economic miracle concealed difficult issues behind the facade of an apparently intact world. A photo book that honors the complete works of the photojournalist and makes history and society tangible.