Wetzlar Exhibits Germaine Krull’s Photography

In Wetzlar, Germany, the city museum and art association are currently exhibiting the life and work of avant-garde photographer Germaine Krull. The exhibition draws from the extensive collection held by the Museum Folkwang in Essen. Around 250 photographs, texts, documents, and audiovisual materials are on display across both venues.

Krull lived a nomadic life, working in Russia, Paris, and Bangkok before settling in central Germany with her sister. The show highlights not only her photography—including celebrated images of industrial sites and everyday life—but also her writing, which encompassed autobiographical works and political reports. The museum focuses on Krull’s biography, while the art association emphasizes experimental aspects of her work.

The exhibition also presents Krull’s later, less-recognized work from after World War II, when she managed a hotel in Bangkok and documented Buddhist culture. While the show offers a broad view of Krull’s career, it does not detail the specific challenges of assembling such a large retrospective from multiple collections. The work of bringing Krull’s multifaceted artistry to a wider audience continues.