In early 2013 Regina Schmeken began taking pictures of the crime scenes of the National Socialist Underground (NSU). To overcome the sense of oppression that takes hold of anyone dealing with the crimes, she decided to turn her photography project into an exhibition. The aim is to show the monstrosity of these apparently random acts of violence and to commemorate the victims. The title makes reference to the Nazi slogan Blut und Boden (Blood and Soil) which reflects the conviction that the essentials of a “healthy nation” are its people and the soil on which it is built. Most of the NSU victims who were severely injured or even murdered in cold blood were of Turkish origin. Regina Schmeken took photographs of sites in eight German cities that at first glance no longer exhibit any visible traces of the crimes. The result has been a series of large-format black-and-white pictures the motifs of which have been documented in the present volume. The photographs are across as disturbingly impressive, and reflect the process of coming to terms with the events with pictorial means. Exhibitions: Dokumentationszentrum Reichsparteitagsgelände Nürnberg 19.9.2019–23.2.2020
Community Notes