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Razed Cities in 3D: The Schnitkemper Collection of Stereoscopic Photography
Tobias Flümann , Dennis Janzen and Markus Köster
From the Journal: Rundbrief Fotografie
Published online:
18 Mar 2026
Abstract
The Schnitkemper Collection comprises some 5,000 stereoscopic pairs of images as well as a few single images on small-format negative film taken from 1946 to 1949/ 1959, and represents an extremely rare visual documentation of West German cities in ruins in terms of scope and method. As part of a collaborative project by the LWL Medienzentrum für Westfalen in Münster and the Irene und Sigurd Greven Stiftung in Cologne from 2023 to 2025, these holdings were digitized, catalogued, and made available online. The photographs are remarkable on account of their unusually functional-looking style, which differs significantly from other examples of rubble photography from the same period. The collection provides valuable source material for the history of urban planning, historical geography and political history, in that the images show not just ruins but also the reconstruction and daily life of the post-war years with its ad hoc arrangements. Its distinctive feature lies in the combination of seriality, methodical consistency and spatial information. The history of its creation remains fragmentary due to a lack of contextual information, despite extensive research. The identity of the photographer and the original purpose stay subjects of research.
The Schnitkemper Collection comprises some 5,000 stereoscopic pairs of images as well as a few single images on small-format negative film taken from 1946 to 1949/ 1959, and represents an extremely rare visual documentation of West German cities in ruins in terms of scope and method. As part of a collaborative project by the LWL Medienzentrum für Westfalen in Münster and the Irene und Sigurd Greven Stiftung in Cologne from 2023 to 2025, these holdings were digitized, catalogued, and made available online. The photographs are remarkable on account of their unusually functional-looking style, which differs significantly from other examples of rubble photography from the same period. The collection provides valuable source material for the history of urban planning, historical geography and political history, in that the images show not just ruins but also the reconstruction and daily life of the post-war years with its ad hoc arrangements. Its distinctive feature lies in the combination of seriality, methodical consistency and spatial information. The history of its creation remains fragmentary due to a lack of contextual information, despite extensive research. The identity of the photographer and the original purpose stay subjects of research.
Other articles in this issue:
Rundbrief Fotografie Issues
Volume 33 (2026)
Volume 32 (2025)
Volume 31 (2024)
Volume 30 (2023)
Volume 29 (2022)
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