Jürgen Schadeberg
| Artist Name: | Jürgen Schadeberg |
| Nationality: | Germany |
| Year of birth: | 1931 |
| Year of death: | 2020 |
| Artist information: | Jürgen Schadeberg was born in 1931 in Berlin and started working as an apprentice photographer for the German Press Agency in Hamburg as a teenager. His work spans over 60 years, making him one of the principal figures in South African photography. He emigrated to South Africa in 1950 and worked as Chief Photographer, Picture Editor, and Art Director for Drum magazine. During this time, Schadeberg captured important moments in the lives of South Africans during the 1950s. These photographs represent the lives and struggles of South Africans during the apartheid regime, including Nelson Mandela, Dr. James Sebe Moroka, Walter Sisulu, Yusuf Dadoo, Archbishop Trevor Huddleston, and many others who were photographed at pivotal moments such as the Defiance Campaign of 1952, the Treason Trial of 1956, the Sophiatown Removals in 1955, and the Sharpeville Funeral in 1960. Unusually for a young white person, Schadeberg got access to segregated Black communities and photographed talented artists who were thriving in the face of diversity, like singer Miriam Makeba and trumpet player Hugh Masekela. He left South Africa in 1964 to work as a freelance photojournalist for major magazines in Europe and the United States of America. He also taught at the New School in New York, the Central School of Art & Design in London, and the Hoch Kunst School in Hamburg. During this time, he curated several significant exhibitions, including The Quality of Life, which debuted at the New National Theatre in 1976. Schadeberg has held a series of major exhibitions and retrospectives in South Africa (1996), Ireland (2000), Luxembourg (2006), and Germany (2005 and 2006). Jürgen received the Officer’s VerdienstKreuz First Class by the German president. He has edited and published over 30 photographic books, including many that recorded the work of Drum. In 2014, the International Centre of Photography in New York honoured him with a lifetime achievement award. Schadeberg passed on 29 August 2020. He is survived by his wife Claudia, his six children, and 15 grandchildren. Sources: https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2020/sep/17/jurgen-schadeberg-obituary [Accessed 22 August 2024] https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/30/arts/jurgen-schadeberg-dead.html [Accessed 22 August 2024] https://www.peterfetterman.com/artists/172-jurgen-schadeberg/biography/ [Accessed 22 August 2024] |
