Hoepker documented the Berlin Wall in the 1960s and 70s, capturing awesome photos of children playing on the physical border between East and West. He also captured emotional families reuniting with each other outside Friedrichstrasse station, dubbed the “Palace of Tears.”
After receiving a 9×12 camera from his grandfather in 1950, Hoepker became obsessed with photography. By the end of the decade, he was working as a photojournalist — and soon became one of the leading photographers of his day. He traveled the globe, building an extraordinary archive, which Magnum Photos began to distribute in 1964, the same year he joined Stern magazine as a photo-reporter.
From iconic images of major world events, to intimate moments of pleasure and delight — here is an outstanding selection of remarkable images from Magnum Photos — each with a personal story
From iconic images of major world events, to intimate moments of pleasure and delight — here is an outstanding selection of remarkable images from Magnum Photos — each with a personal story.
With simple humility, Thomas Hoepker has always seen himself as nothing more than an assignment photographer, someone interested in nothing less than the truth, in the honesty of the moment
Magnum photographer Thomas Hoepker’s upcoming book Views of a Vanished Country contains photographs of East Germany shot over a period of some 30 years. It gives a unique look into the daily life of East Germans from the time the Berlin Wall was erected to the time it was demolished. TIME talked with Hoepker about his book.
Thomas Hoepker is one of the most acclaimed Magnum photographers. His pictures of heavyweight champion Muhammad Ali, his shots from the USA in the 1960s, as well as newer photos like the one he took in New York on September 11, 2001, have become emblematic. Hoepker has been using Leica cameras ever since he started working as a photo journalist for renowned magazines.