The portrait of Ludwig Scherwinsky (motif #1) comes from the series In den Brikettfabriken, which Christina Glanz took in her first photo documentation in Lusatia in 1992-1994 but never published until now. At this time, the workers in the coal-processing industry in the former GDR were about to be made redundant by the Treuhand, and the buildings had long been left to decay. Soon they will all be 'wound up', people and buildings alike. The depicted worker immediately brings to mind August Sander and his 'People of the 20th Century' - beyond his individual appearance, he seems to represent all the hard-working people of the GDR who lost their livelihoods as a result of the German reunification. The photo from "Maschinenplätze" (Motif #2) shows an "empty space", a trace of human activity, like an archaeological find: the machine has already been dismantled, only a few metal remnants and anchors remain in this place. One can only guess at the number of decades that were spent working here. The different textures and materials develop their very special feel and an extraordinary aesthetic appeal in the high-quality hand print."I was interested in the work in the coal refineries, power stations and metalworking production facilities in Lauchhammer and Lower Lusatia. For the first time, I entered a briquette factory, for the first time I stood in the middle of the noise between the furnace lines of the coking plants, which until then I had only known as a monumental silhouette. For the first time, I brought the coal dust and corrosive odours home with me in the evening." Christina Glanz
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