Federal Chancellor Angela Merkel and Herlinde Koelbl, photographer in the Federal Chancellery
Source: dpa / Steffen Kugler
“You cannot be Federal Chancellor for 16 years without paying tribute,” says photographer Herlinde Koelbl. From 1991 until today she has portrayed Angela Merkel almost continuously once a year. Before the publication of her illustrated book, she talks about changes in the CDU politician.
Angela Merkel, the efforts of the long term of office as Chancellor can be seen from the point of view of the photo artist Herlinde Koelbl. “You cannot be Chancellor for 16 years without paying tribute. Being the chancellor of a country is the most stressful thing you can ever have. You are responsible for a country, ”said Koelbl of the German Press Agency in Berlin.
The 82-year-old has portrayed the CDU politician almost consistently once a year from 1991 until today. The recordings are in the volume “Angela Merkel. Portraits 1991-2021 ”, which will be released on November 19.
During the encounters for the recordings, Koelbl was able to register small changes beyond the expected changes such as hairstyles or wrinkles. “What has slightly disappeared in recent years is the lively glow in the eyes, in the laughing eyes. This liveliness is seldom seen again. Her body language is also more restrained, ”said the Munich-based photographer.
The photographer’s promise to Merkel
The works go back to the “Traces of Power” project, with which Koelbl portrayed and interviewed Merkel as well as leading personalities such as Renate Schmidt, Heide Simonis, Gerhard Schröder and Joschka Fischer annually from 1991 to 1998.
“I finished the project in 1998,” reported Koelbl. In 2005, however, Merkel was elected Chancellor. “I then wrote to her and asked if I could continue to accompany her. She accepted without any major discussions. “
There were agreements for the new phase of cooperation, now only documented photographically. “I then promised her that I would not publish the new photos until she was no longer the incumbent Chancellor,” said Koelbl. “I just wanted her to feel in safe hands.”
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