The Trek – Exploring Photographs of Flight and Displacement

The special exhibition “The Trek – Photographs of Displacement 1945” documents the journey of 350 people from Lübchen (today Lubów) in Lower Silesia in January 1945 as they fled the advancing Red Army.

Photographs shape our perception of displacement and expulsion. But who takes these pictures – and for what purpose? What narratives do the images convey? How do they influence our culture of remembrance?

No other refugee trek in 1945 is as extensively documented – in part because taking photos of refugee movements was officially prohibited. The approximately 140 photographs in this exhibition were taken by professional photographer Hanns Tschira and his assistant Martha Maria Schmackeit. Tschira’s agency, "Tschira’s Bilderdienst/Eurofot," had been working since 1943 on behalf of the Reich Ministry of Public Enlightenment and Propaganda, which granted him special permissions.

Using the photographs as our starting point, we explore the living conditions of those on the trek: How did people fare in the middle of winter, with horse-drawn carts and few possessions? Who decided when and where to flee? Who fled? What roles did forced labourers play? Who was responsible for providing supplies and shelter? Why did this particular trek escape with relatively few losses, while others ended in tragedy?

We will closely examine selected photographs from the special exhibition, paying particular attention to the subjects Hanns Tschira deliberately chose to capture. To what extent do the photographs reflect universal experiences of flight? And just as importantly: What do these images leave out? Which stories remain invisible?

To fully explore the visual narratives in their historical context, we will also include photographs from the permanent exhibition. Together, we will critically examine perspectives, omissions, and how these photographs continue to shape our ways of seeing.
At the heart of the workshop are both the experiences of the refugees and the question of how photography influences historical records and our culture of remembrance.

Guided Tour:

• Suitable for: final year pupils (10th to 13th grade), university students, students at vocational colleges.
• Duration: 90 Minutes
• Languages: German or English
• No charge for schools, colleges, universities or providers of youth programmes.
• Group size: up to 20 students (bigger groups will be divided)
• Bookable: Tuesday, Thursday, Friday from 10:15 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. (last possible start), Wednesday from 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. (last possible start)
• duration of the speical exhibition: 20 June 2025 to 18 January 2026