Photographs by Olaf Scherer
The Mecklenburg Foundation's special exhibition "SCHWERIN SCHWARZ - WEISS" presents a selection of photographs taken by Schwerin photographer Olaf Scherer for the Schweriner Volkszeitung newspaper in the 1970s and 1980s. The pictures on display were mostly taken at events or were intended as representative shots for the press. Among other things, their purpose was to capture everyday life, images of people or social events for the newspaper as a print medium.
This may seem either familiar or strange to viewers today, depending on their background and experience, different references are formed, as the images shown are photographs of a bygone era and document contemporary events. Between 1980 and 1988, the population reached its historic peak of 130,000 inhabitants. This development was reversed after 1990 and Schwerin lost its status as a major city.
Maik Zürgeh, who runs the Facebook page "Stadt Schwerin / Mecklenburg (historische Bilder)" on the Internet, and his cooperation partner Peter Krabbe were instrumental in selecting the images. The two Schwerin residents' good contacts with professional photographers and people with interesting private photographs form the basis for the "SCHWERIN SCHWARZ-WEISS" exhibition.
