Karlsruhe celebrates Horst Schlesiger: special tours of the popular exhibition!

Karlsruhe celebrates Horst Schlesiger: special tours of the popular exhibition!

The city museum in Karlsruhe has caused quite a stir in the last few weeks. The special exhibition in honor of the Karlsruhe photographer Horst Schlesiger, which runs until October 2025, has aroused the interest of visitors so much that the museum has now scheduled a second date for a special tour. As the Badische Neuesten Nachrichten here report, the registrations for the first tour on July 15th were so numerous that the number of participants had to be increased from the original 25 to 30. The second date will take place on July 21st, with a further 30 places being awarded from a lottery pot.

Horst Schlesiger, who lived from 1925 to 1993, was a formative figure in Karlsruhe photography. From 1950 to 1990 he worked as a freelance photojournalist for the “Badische Neuesten Nachrichten” and published around 70,000 photographs that accompanied city life over four decades. The exhibition, entitled "Scenes of a City. Karlsruhe Photographer Horst Schlesiger", was launched on the occasion of his 100th birthday and shows around 300 of his best photographs, which not only document public and political events, but also offer insights into people's everyday life, leisure time and working world. Details about the exhibition can be found on the city museum website (https://stadtgeschichte.karlsruhe.de/stadtmuseum/sonder exhibitionen/schlesiger).

A look behind the lens

Schlesiger's photographs are characterized by their diversity. In addition to portraits of people who shaped city life, he also shows impressive nature and landscape photos as well as architectural perspectives, which often set accents through special light and shadow effects. This mixture makes the exhibition not only a journey through time through Karlsruhe, but also a celebration of Schlesiger's artistic work. The curator of the exhibition, Dr. Ferdinand Leikam is available to help visitors with exciting explanations, and participation in the tours is included in the admission price. For adults this is 4 euros, reduced 2 euros, as can be found on the city company website.

The series “Do you recognize Karlsruhe?”, which was launched three years ago and shows a monthly puzzle picture from the city, is also very popular. Many participants use this opportunity to rediscover old recordings from their childhood or youth, often provided by the Karlsruhe City Archives. This makes it clear how strongly the connection between the residents and their city is shaped by memories of bygone times.

So if you don't want to miss the insights into old Karlsruhe and Horst Schlesiger's life's work, you should try to take part in the tour soon. The exhibition offers the opportunity to bring history to life and embark on a visual journey of discovery through the city.