What East German Streets Looked Like Just Before The Berlin Wall Came Down (16 Pics)


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All About Photo proudly presents Street Photography At The End Of The 80s by German photographer Henk Kosche — an evocative solo exhibition available online throughout July 2025.

For nearly 40 years, a small cardboard box of 35mm negatives quietly held images of life in Halle an der Saale, an industrial city in the former East Germany. Captured just before the fall of the Berlin Wall, Kosche’s black-and-white photographs reveal a world suspended between resilience and resignation, grit and beauty.

These rediscovered treasures bring to life a city cloaked in smoke from factories and power plants, where everyday moments tell stories of quiet strength amid uncertainty. Kosche’s lens offers an intimate glimpse into a society on the brink of monumental change — moments frozen before Western consumerism reshaped the urban landscape forever.

Discover these compelling images and the silent poetry of a transforming era — only on All About Photo this July.

More info: all-about-photo.com | hko.photography | Instagram | Facebook

#1 Walking The Cat, May 1988

Image credits: © Henk Kosche

Street Photography At The End Of The 80s is more than a nostalgic trip; it’s a poignant testament to photography’s power to preserve history’s unseen layers and reveal the extraordinary in the ordinary.

#2 Family At The Window, March 1989

Image credits: © Henk Kosche

#3 Cyclist, November 1988

Image credits: © Henk Kosche

#4 Pensioner, February 1988

Image credits: © Henk Kosche

#5 Mobile Kiosk, September 1988

Image credits: © Henk Kosche

#6 Couple In Front Of The Department Store, March 1989

Image credits: © Henk Kosche

#7 At The Milcheck, February 1988

Image credits: © Henk Kosche

#8 They Have Weelbarrows, 1987

Image credits: © Henk Kosche

#9 Costume Party Of The Fashion Students, March 1989

Image credits: © Henk Kosche

#10 Carnival Parade Of The Art Students, November 1988

Image credits: © Henk Kosche

#11 Propaganda Material, May 1987

Image credits: © Henk Kosche

#12 Discussing The Job, October 1988

Image credits: © Henk Kosche

#13 Carpenter For Grave Furiture, May 1988

Image credits: © Henk Kosche

#14 Welding Job, October 1988

Image credits: © Henk Kosche

#15 Grosse Gosenstrasse, 1988

Image credits: © Henk Kosche

#16 Costume Party Of The Fashion Students, March 1989

Image credits: © Henk Kosche


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