In the course of his career, Erich Lessing covered many significant political and social events. His photographs illustrate the atmosphere of post-war Europe, such as Allied occupation in Vienna, reconstruction in war-damaged Germany, life under communist rule in Eastern Europe, several political summit conferences, Charles de Gaulle’s visit to Algeria in 1958 and the dramatic events of the Hungarian Uprising in 1956.
For the most part, this book’s duotone photographs are gathered from unpublished material. In the context of Lessing’s reportage work they do not show figures of political power, but rather focus on anonymous people and representations of everyday life. The photographer’s chosen title for this collection, Anderswo (Elsewhere), mirrors his intention to portray a world beyond the familiar and habitual.
