About German (Cologne) photographer, CHARGESHEIMER (1924-1971/72)

Karl Heinz (also Carl-Heinz) Hargesheimer, known by the artist name CHARGESHEIMER, studied graphics and photography at the Cologne factory schools after the Second World War. From 1950 he experimented with abstract light structures on photo paper and with photo montages. He has been working as a freelance photographer since 1955 and attracted attention both through biting portraits of public figures and through realistic reports on his compatriots. He loved Cologne and was closely connected to the city all his life; He viewed the development of Cologne in the reconstruction phase and also later very critically. In 1968 he was awarded its culture prize by the DGPh (German Society for Photography). In early January 1972, CHARGESHEIMER was found dead in his apartment.

Photo books by, on the photographic work as well as with works by CHARGESHEIMER

  • 'Cologne intime' (1957); 'Im Ruhrgebiet' (1958, text: Heinrich Böll); 'Unter Krahnenbäumen' (1958, 1998, 2012, foreword: Heinrich Böll); 'Berlin. Bilder einer großen Stadt' (1959); 'Romanik am Rhein' (1959); 'Menschen am Rhein' (1960); 'Zwischenbilanz' (1961); 'Armstrong & Fitzgerald. Photo folder with 16 pictures' (1961); 'Cologne fotografiert in Farbe' (1965); 'Theater, Theater' (1967); 'Köln 5 Uhr 30' (1970); 'Hannover' (1970); 'Köln 1970/1995' (1996, with photographs by CHARGESHEIMER and Wolfgang VOLLMER); 'Chargesheimer 1924 - 1971. Bohemien aus Köln' (2007); 'Chargesheimer. Die Entdeckung des Ruhrgebiets '(2014); 'Chargesheimer fotografiert Jazz. Köln 1950-1970' (2022); 'Fotogeschichten Kölner Südstadt' (together with works by Eusebius WIRDEIER, planned for 2024);

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'Cologne and its photo books. Cologne in the photo book from 1853 to 2010 'by Werner Schäfke shows the city as a large puzzle. Whether published in-house, on behalf of the city or industry, they document the diversity of this old & young Rhine metropolis.
38,00 € * Weight 2 kg
'Chargesheimer im Zoo', contains b/w shots of animals & people at the Cologne Zoo. The volume by the Cologne photographer contains unknown photographs, shown for the first time, from a time when a visit to the zoo was still one of the year's highlights.
from 28,00 €
The unusual 'PBM_Catalog Box' contains leporellos, brochures and posters for the 33 exhibitions and projects shown during the PhotoBookMuseum pop-up in Cologne. The shape of the box alludes to the exhibitions shown in traditional shipping containers.
55,00 € * Weight 1 kg
Broschiert (ohne Schutzumschlag, wie erschienen), 23,5 x 29 cm., 160 S., approx. 150 S/W-Abb., deutsch-sprachiger Text - GERMAN TEXT ONLY!
0,00 € *
Gebunden, mit Schutzumschlag, 24,5 x 28 x 4 cm., 352 S., mehr als 460 Abb., deutsch-sprachig - GERMAN TEXT ONLY!
500,00 €
'Köln. 1970/1995' contrasts b/w photographs by the photographers CHARGESHEIMER and VOLLMER. The comparison reveals the change of Cologne, its architecture as well as infrastructure and provides subtle insights into historical backgrounds and cultural life
0,00 € *
2nd reprint (2007). In his out-of-print photographic volume 'Unter Krahnenbäumen', first published in 1958, CHARGESHEIMER documents street life and the housing situation in the 1950s. The text in the book was written by Nobel Prize winner Heinrich Böll.
198,00 € * Weight 0.6 kg
Gebundene Ausgabe mit Schutzumschlag, etwa 24 x 30 x 2 cm., 122 S., S/W-Abb., deutsch-sprachiger Text - GERMAN TEXT ONLY!
0,00 € *
Broschierte Ausgabe ohne Schutzumschlag, (wie erschienen), 22 x 27 x 1,5 cm., 96 S., S/W-Abb., deutsch-sprachiger Text - GERMAN TEXT ONLY!
28,00 € *
'Chargesheimer fotografiert Jazz' contains portraits of musicians and their Cologne performances, as well as studio shots that also served as models for posters and record covers. Of around 600 negatives, a large part is published here for the first time.
35,00 € * Weight 1.9 kg
'Fotogeschichten Kölner Südstadt' tells the story of the Severinsviertel. In addition to photographs by CHARGESHEIMER, it contains private photos by Wolfgang NIEDECKEN, who grew up here, as well as pictures taken between 2019 and 2023 by Eusebius WIRDEIER
49,95 € *
Gebundene Ausgabe mit Schutzumschlag, 183 S., S/W-Abb., deutsch-sprachiger Text - GERMAN TEXT ONLY!
0,00 € *
'Photographers A-Z' brings together photographers who have made a significant contribution to photographic culture, as well as the most important photographic volumes of the past century. The entries are illustrated with facsimiles from books & magazines.
from 16,00 €
Zweite Auflage. Gebundene Ausgabe ohne Schutzumschlag (wie erschienen), 24,5 x 30,5 x 3 cm., 338 S., S/W-Abb., deutsch-sprachiger Text - TEXT ONLY IN GERMAN!
0,00 €
Broschierte Ausgabe ohne Schutzumschlag (wie erschienen), 25 x 30,5 x 1,5 cm., 200 S., 163 S/W-Abb., deutsch-sprachiger Text - GERMAN TEXT ONLY!
0,00 € *
on the reception history of the photographic work by CHARGESHEIMER

After CHARGESHEIMER had made a name for itself with the volume 'Cologne intime' (1957), Spiegel publisher Augstein ordered a portrait of Konrad Adenauer for the front page from him shortly before the 1957 federal election. Corresponding to Augstein's hopes, the image of a "mask-like face carved in granite, which told of political petrification and old age" was created. Due to the indignation that followed, CHARGESHEIMER became known nationwide.
In 1958 the Lord Mayor of Essen reacted to the illustrated book 'Ruhrgebiet' published by CHARGESHEIMER: 'We are thoroughly tired of being portrayed in this way by outsiders [...] We do not intend to accept such publications without being contradicted [...] We accept such representations not!'
In 1995 Wolfgang VOLLMER photographed the locations from the photo book 'Cologne 5:30 a.m.' again.
In 2004 the Cologne band BAP referred in their song 'Unger Krahnebäume' to the illustrated book of the same name above that street in Cologne.
In 2006 a small square between the cathedral and the old waiting room of Cologne Central Station was named after CHARGESHEIMER. A bronze plaque reminds of him there.
In 2007/2008 the Museum Ludwig, Cologne showed the estate in the museum; with additional, previously unknown documents and photographs.
In 2014/2015 the Ruhr Museum, Essen, showed the photos of the illustrated book 'Ruhrgebiet' in the Zeche Zollverein.
2022 CHARGESHEIMER was rediscovered as a contemporary witness of Cologne's jazz music history of the 1950s and 1960s on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of his death. Cologne was considered the 'Mecca of German jazz fans' in those decades. In addition to a special exhibition in the new building of the city archive at the Eifelwall, a coffee-table book was published, which is more extensive by about 100 photos.
The illustrated book 'Fotogeschichten der Kölner Südstadt' with works by CHARGESHEIMER is planned for 2024.