Walter Ballhause
photographer
Walter Ballhause was a German photographer known for his socially documentary work, particularly focusing on the lives of the working class and those living in poverty. He began photographing his social environment during the early 1930s, capturing scenes of unemployment, war-wounded individuals, and children in industrial cities like Hannover. His work is characterized by its artistic quality and uncompromising documentation of marginalized people. Although his photographs were not widely published or exhibited until the 1970s, they received significant recognition for their profound social insight. Ballhause was also politically active as a member of various socialist and communist organizations throughout his life.[1,2,3]
- social documentary
- working-class life
- poverty
- unemployment
- industrialization
Books
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Überflüssige Menschen€17.00
Works by Walter Ballhause
- 1981 Überflüssige Menschen. Fotografien und Gedichte aus der Zeit der großen Krise Co-authored with Johannes R. Becher; contains photographs by Ballhause and poems by Becher.
- 1981 Zwischen Weimar und Hitler. Sozialdokumentarische Fotografie 1930–1933
- 1985 Licht und Schatten der dreißiger Jahre. Foto-Dokumente aus dem Alltag Co-authored with Fritz Rudolf Fries.
Exhibitions
- 1971 Widerstand in Niedersachsen
Awards
- 1982 Ehrenmitgliedschaft der Arbeiterfotografie e. V.
- 1988 Ehrenmitgliedschaft des Verbandes Bildender Künstler der DDR