Timm Rautert: Germans in Uniform

Timm Rautert: Germans in Uniform, originally published in German by Steidl in 2006, is now available in English in this expanded version. This 1974 series presents a range of Germans in their professional attire in both a sociological and ironic manner.

For his project, Rautert invited a range of public servants and officials to his Düsseldorf studio, where he photographed them in their work clothes—from a pastor, monk, Red Cross helper, and hotel valet, to a more flamboyant drum major, forest warden, and even a Santa Claus. Rautert depicts his subjects before the same neutral backdrop with similar framing and perspective, thus emphasizing how they reveal their characters beyond their uniforms.

Below each photo are the subject's name, age, and profession; at times, personal quotes from conversations with Rautert during the shoot are also included. The result today is at once a complex portrait of post-war Germany, a nostalgic historical document, and an expression of the interplay between uniformity and personality that continues to shape society.

Rautert keeps reality in limbo. He creates a tension between staying in line and acting as an individual, between the uniform role and the person, between image and text. We leaf through the book, forwards and back, and remain puzzled by the real that comes with the roles. – Wolfgang Brückle