Memorial plaque commemorates pioneers of photography in Steglitz

Memorial plaque commemorates pioneers of photography in Steglitz

On November 7, 2025, a memorial plaque was placed in Berlin-Steglitz for the legendary photo studio ringl + pit, which was run by the two Jewish photographers Grete Stern and Ellen Rosenberg (later Auerbach) between 1929 and 1933. The plaque was initiated by the Senate Department for Culture and Social Cohesion and is part of the Historical City Markings funding program, which is being implemented with the help of the Royal Porcelain Manufactory Berlin. The main sponsor of the project is GASAG AG, which made a significant contribution to financing the food bank. The unveiling and design of the panel text were organized by the Active Museum of Fascism and Resistance in Berlin.

Grete Stern and Ellen Rosenberg shaped contemporary photographic art with their studio. The name “ringl + pit” is derived from the two women’s childhood names and reflects the lively creativity of their work. Her studio was considered a pioneer of the “New Vision” and was known for its experimental approach to advertising and portrait photography. Both artists had to leave Germany in 1933 after the National Socialists came to power. Stern emigrated first to London and then to Argentina in 1936, while Auerbach first lived in Palestine and later became active in New York.

Artistic Influences and Heritage

The photographs created in the studio are not only significant for their technical innovations, but also for their critical examination of traditional femininity and the role of women in society. Grete Stern focused on graphic elements, while Ellen Auerbach often brought humorous and ironic perspectives. This collaboration can be seen as an important contribution to modern photography, which is generally dominated by male artists. In addition to numerous magazines, her work has also been published in the internationally renowned magazine Commercial Graphics.

The plaque will not only preserve the memory of the studio, but is also part of a broader cultural commitment by Berlin that recognizes the history of Jewish artists in Germany during the Nazi era. The rise of Adolf Hitler and the escape of Stern and Auerbach symbolize the loss that society has suffered through the persecution and expulsion of talented female artists.

Additional photography exhibitions

Parallel to the memorial plaque, the exhibition "Flashes of Memory. Photography during the Holocaust", which will be on display at the Museum of Photography in Berlin-Charlottenburg from March 24, 2024, will shed light on further aspects of photography during the Holocaust period. This first presentation in Germany shows photos and films by Jewish and non-Jewish photographers and their relatives who document the dramatic circumstances of this time. Here it is shown how photography served both as documentation and as a tool of manipulation.

Together, these two cultural initiatives show how important it is to remember the work of Stern and Auerbach as well as the victims of the Nazi regime. The ringl + pit studio will thus be permanently anchored in the history of German photography.