Biography of Harald Hauswald
One of the Co-founders of the Ostkreuz photo agency, Harald Hauswald captured the transition of Berlin from divided city into the achingly cool global hub it has become.
Born in 1954 in Radebeul, he studied photography from 1970-72 before moving to East Berlin in 1977. It was here that he took on numerous jobs, most notable that of a telegram messenger, a job that allowed him to explore the backyards and side streets of Germany’s capital. Later he took jobs as a photo laboratory assistant and a photographer at the Stephanus-Foundation.
Inspired by the Parisian photo agency Magnum, Ostkruez was set up in 1990 as a means to bring together like-minded people, at a time when everything had changed after the sudden reunification of Germany.
Harald Hauswald’s exceptional ability to capture intriguing architectural flourishes, as well as making the everyday humdrum life of the working man exceptional are notable features of this photographer. As he says himself “The many small matters of minor importance that happen to you in this city are simply miraculous."
1997 Awarded the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany. Harald Hauswald has made numerous photo reportages for Stern, Das Magazin, and Zeitmagazin. In 2013 the Konrad-Wolf-Prize was awarded to the Ostkreuz photo agency.