information on the exhibition

»mein hannover« this is the title of an exhibition which runs from November 8, 2009 through February 7, 2010 in the kestnergesellschaft and which reveals a unique view into the family album of the city. To be seen are some 120 photographs made over the past sixty years and coming from the private photo albums of Hannover citizens. On the occasion of its sixtieth birthday, the Hannoversche Allgemeine Zeitung (HAZ) invited its readers to send pictures. Around two thousand photos reached the editorial staff. A selection of these pictures?interspersed with images by professional photographers such as Michael Thomas, Udo Heuer, Wilhelm Hauschild as well as Karin Blüher?are being presented in the kestnergesellschaft.

Hans-Peter Wiechers, who was an editor at the HAZ for many years, made the selection. He was fascinated by the wealth of photographs from the nineteen-fifties which open so unique a view into the family album of the city. »For example,« he says, »there are photos from a typical Sunday promenade when the girls still wore white, knee-length stockings and the boys had on their confirmation suits which had become too small.«

But not only do the photos recount a piece of history in themselves. Already the number of photos sent to the editorial staff mirrors social changes: Whereas numerous motifs from the nineteen-fifties, -sixties and -seventies were submitted, the editors received far fewer offerings from the nineteen-eighties. »Almost nothing came from the nineteen-nineties,« reports Wiechers. What is the reason for this? Digital photography had come to the fore. The HAZ-editor suspects that »people have photos on their memory cards, but only a very few actually print them«. The family album has fallen into disuse. Now a very special family album may be viewed at the kestnergesellschaft.

The accompanying book may be purchased in the kestnergesellschaft and at the HAZ offices for 19.90 €.

Along with the exhibition, there will be an extensive series of parallel programs.