Gold Stadt (City of Gold)

Pforzheim, Germany,
2023

Gold Stadt, Pforzheim, Germany. May 2023 — *Gold Stadt,* Pforzheim, Germany. May 2023
1—3

Gold Stadt (City of Gold) conjures thoughts of destruction and reconstruction, loss and salvation, on the anniversary of the World War II aerial bombing of Pforzheim, Germany.

Photographs by Guido van Helten

Project Details

Project

Gold Stadt (City of Gold)

Location

Pforzheim, Germany

Commissioner

Kulturampt, Pforzheim

Pforzheim earned its nickname of Goldstadt (‘city of gold’) because of its long tradition of jewellery and watch making, but it is also known for being one of Germany’s most severely hit cities during the Royal Air Force bombing campaign of World War II. Having militarized its jewellery industry to make precision instruments for war, Pforzheim had become a target.¹ During the evening hours of February 23rd, 1945, almost 1,600 tons of bombs destroyed the city centre and tens of thousands of lives were lost.²

In the lead up to the 2023 anniversary of the aerial bombing, the artist sought to explore elements of Pforzheim’s identity and its complex collective memory forged following its destruction and post-war reconstruction, its notable jewellery industry, and its diverse communities from migrant backgrounds.

The resulting photographic study touches on these aspects, with a focus on the city’s striking architectural style that emerged in the post-war period and the interplay of winter light and shadows among its modernist buildings. Visiting with both long-time residents and WWII survivors as well as more recent migrants, the artist discovered a shared history of loss and displacement through conflict, as well as a story of salvation through the city’s rebuild after ruin and its ever-changing landscape and identity.

Robert SCHÜTT Witwe Workshop, Goldschmiedeschulstraße, Pforzheim, Germany, February 2023 — *Robert SCHÜTT Witwe Workshop,* Goldschmiedeschulstraße, Pforzheim, Germany, February 2023

I saw hundreds of people burning to death, they died and they cried...everybody was dead and I saw this as a little boy of twelve years. In my street was... the butler was dead, the beggar was burned, the groceries man was killed and his head was on the street... This was the end of my youth.

Herbert Mohr-Maher photographed in his home, Baden-Baden, Germany, February 2023 — *Herbert Mohr-Maher photographed in his home*, Baden-Baden, Germany, February 2023

Survivor of the February 23 1945 air raid, Pforzheim, Germany, February 2023 — *Survivor of the February 23 1945 air raid,* Pforzheim, Germany, February 2023

Post-war identity document, Pforzheim, Germany, February 2023 — *Post-war identity document,* Pforzheim, Germany, February 2023

Mr Odischo’s family items taken from his home in Syria Pforzheim, Germany, February 2023 — *Mr Odischo’s family items taken from his home in Syria* Pforzheim, Germany, February 2023

Mr Odisho’s personal items taken from his home in Syria, Pforzheim, Germany, February 2023 — *Mr Odisho’s personal items taken from his home in Syria,* Pforzheim, Germany, February 2023

Hauptfriedhof Cemetary, Pforzheim, Germany, February 23, 2023 — *Hauptfriedhof Cemetary,* Pforzheim, Germany, February 23, 2023

Hauptfriedhof Cemetery, Pforzheim, Germany, February 23, 2023 — *Hauptfriedhof Cemetery,* Pforzheim, Germany, February 23, 2023

It’s a very big catastrophe and we hope that this catastrophe to give us strength, to give us union, in order to work together, to live with each other, to do something good for each other, you see, in order for this country, for this city to be a special city, in Germany.... You need power, faith, and determination to look for, to think that tomorrow is better as today to think about this, to live not just for yourself, to live for our people, to live for your relatives, for your families, for your friends.

Protests, Pforzheim, Germany, February 23, 2023 — *Protests,* Pforzheim, Germany, February 23, 2023

Pforzheim lost one signature identity and began to rebuild a new face. This collection is characterized through architectural and social images that reflect on this past while memorializing its shifting identity.