Fred Stein was born in Dresden in 1909, and Part of his photography life can be seen at the new, carefully researched exhibition at the Deutsches Historisches Museum Berlin. There are about 160 of his images, 80 of them portraits, and additional original documents of a gifted photographer. He wanted to become a lawyer, but instead he became a Jewish exile in Paris in 1933 and new York in 1941. 

Taking up a camera was a common means of expression for many emigre in foreign-speaking environments. 

Fred Stein had to fight again and again for his copyrights. The many exciting narrative strands in the exhibition report on how this developed.

Klaus Mann looks at us from the poster of the exhibition "Report from Exile Photographs by Fred Stein" of the German Historical Museum. It was recorded in Paris in 1935. Or the portrait fred Stein made by Hannah Arendt in New York in 1944. It is precisely this image that shines before the inner eye when one thinks of the writer. Her challenging gaze speaks volumes.

Fred Stein died surprisingly early in 1967, at the age of 58 and his archive with numerous negatives, original prints, contact sheets and letters were taken care of by the family. 

Apart from this exhibition there is still more to discover at the Jewish Museum Berlin like the manuscript of Fred Stein for an unpublished book, in which his portraits are gathered with texts by the writers.

The German Historical Museum, Berlin, is showing the exhibition "Report from Exile - Photographs by Fred Stein" from reopening today 15.03.2022 until at least 20 June 2021. A publication has been published for the exhibition, 120 pages, ISBN 978-3-86102-221-3, 18,- Euro.