Hanna Seewald (born 1899) was not only a photographic pioneer of the Weimar era, but also a trailblazer as director of the Munich Fotoschule / Lehr- und Versuchsanstalt für Photographie. She left her mark on the important photography school for 40 years: from 1925 as a teacher, immediately after the war as provisional director and from 1953 as director.
Skilled in both craftsmanship and artistry in Pictorialism, New Vision and industrial photography, portrait photographer Hanna Seewald was able to establish herself at the top of the institution after the war.
The photographer Dieter Hinrichs studied with Hanna Seewald in the mid-1950s. Later, he himself was a teacher at the Munich photo school and exchanged views with Hanna Seewald about her work at the photo school until her death in 1992. In conversation with Corinna Weidner, he delves into her pedagogical-organisational qualities and critical spirit, reflects on the complicated phase of the Nazi era and how Hanna Seewald went her own way. We also talk about Hinrichs' commitment to reappraising the history of the Munich photo school as well as his innovations in education. Dieter Hinrichs' students included Juergen Teller and Anna Gripp.
For this podcast, Dieter Hinrichs has made available from his archive an audio recording of Hanna Seewald on Bayerischer Rundfunk from 1958 ¬- a real gem.
http://www.dieter-hinrichs.com
43 min
