Heart of Darkness —The Osthofen Concentration Camp

 

The Osthofen concentration camp in Rhineland-Palatinate, not far from Worms, operated from March 1933 to July 1934 on the grounds of a former paper and cardboard factory. I discovered it quite some time ago—rather by chance—during one of my photography tours; however, it was closed at the time, so I resolved to return in order to approach this relatively little-known concentration camp with both my heart and my camera. It is gratifying to see that the institution offers a wealth of programs for schools, students, and young people, aiming to forge a connection between what happened back then and what is happening today. Individual fates are singled out—made more tangible through personal stories and artifacts than through cruel statistics alone.  

 

 

Incidentally, the novel *The Seventh Cross* by Anna Seghers is also set in this very place. Furthermore, an exhibition is currently on display—one that I found deeply moving—focusing on the victims of National Socialism who, in some cases, remain unrecognized to this day: people who did not fit into the Nazis' cruel schema—artists, free spirits, and homosexuals. 

(Osthofen, Germany, April 26th, 2026)

 

 

Links:

- KZ Osthofen Website

- Wikipedia - KZ Osthofen

 

 

Technobabble: 

Pictures taken on Ilford HP5+ with Canon EOS1V + EF 1.4/24L, 1.4/35L and 1.2/50L, red filter, development and scan to TIFF by OnFilmLab, Frankfurt

 

 

  

 

Tacit Blue I - Dietesheimer Steinbrüche/Mühlheim am Main, Germany

 

 

Tacit Blue I (Dietesheimer Steinbrüche/Mühlheim am Main, Germany, May 3rd, 2026) 

Music: "Love on a real train" by Tangerine Dream

 

 

 

 

 

Engelthal Abbey - Altenstadt, Wetterau, Germany

Frozen in time, Engelthal Abbey lies in the Wetterau region of Hesse. Formerly a Cistercian monastery, it had been home since 1962 to Benedictine nuns who managed and lovingly tended the abbey, the shop, a guesthouse, the gardens, and the fields. Yet the community is fading away, and the abbey with it. Only twelve nuns remained in the end; with no new vocations and the sisters advancing in age, they no longer felt able to manage the grounds. They are currently moving to a new, smaller convent in Bingen, while the Diocese of Mainz develops a plan for the site's future use. The grounds—with the exception of the cloistered areas—remain open to visitors, though the guesthouse and shop are permanently closed. Mass is still celebrated in the church, however. The remaining public area is still a beautiful, peaceful place that radiates tranquility, lingering in a state of melancholy somewhere between its vibrant past and its current reality. 

 

(Engelthal Abbey, Altenstadt, Wetterau, Germany, June 14th, 2026)

 

Links:

 

https://www.abtei-kloster-engelthal.de/