E.O. Hoppé | Romantik der Kleinstadt

Romantik der Kleinstadt, 1932
"Romantic Towns" (of Germany)

Romantik der Kleinstadt

While photographing the factories of Germany’s industrial buildup in the late 1920s, Hoppé also documented its traditional small country towns and villages. It is clear in these photographs that the architecture of medieval Germany was then still abundant and that a suitably romantic view of Germany’s past could be found on a day trip to the country. Curiously, we see from Hoppé’s negative logs that after he spent one day photographing the ancient town of Hamlen (of Pied Piper fame), the next was spent in an entirely different reality, depicting the massive industry on Hamburg Harbor. As Hoppé saw it, Germany was both the old and the new. “Romantik der Kleinstadt” shows his affection for the traditional.

Friedrichstrasse Berlin, 1925	Drawbridge Berlin, 1925	Tiergarten Berlin, 1925	The Eagle Inn Germany, 1928
Goslar a. Harz Germany, c.1928	Cathedral Close Germany, c.1925	Hildesheim Germany, c.1928	Germany's oldest Inn "The Giant" Miltenberg a. Main, c.1928
Tramping Carpenter "Rolandsbrother" c.1928	Michelstadt, c.1928	Wandering Gipsies c.1928	The Townhall Karlstadt a. Main, c.1928
The Townhall Marburg a.d. Lahn c.1928	The Townhall Mergentheim, c.1928	Westfalen, c.1928