Karl-Marx-Stadt

 Germany > Saxony > Chemnitz

---

From 1953 till 1990 this city was renamed Karl Marx Stadt after the founder of Marxism, a political system of revolutionary socialism but in practice an iron fist and curtain to protect itself against capitalism. The standard gauge trams are still running but the odd 915 mm network was abolished on November 6th 1988 and must have been one of the last measurements taken by a communistic orientated municipal authority. The picture was taken on April 14th 1980 by Winfried Hintermeier but it could have been mine because many times I visited the east sector and although it’s a color photo the greyness is omnipresent but also certain decay like there was no money left for any maintenance. Still I liked it exempt the stench of lignite that penetrated deep into your clothes. Robert von HirschhornCard published by: Bufe-Fachbuchzentrum - München / photography by Winfried Hintermeier.