European Front. War in Ukraine

Til Mayer is a German photographer and journalist. When the war in Donbas disappeared from the front pages of the media in Europe, in 2017 he took his camera and traveled to the combat zone again and again. He documented, reminded and, above all, warned against isolating himself from the war that was taking place in the heart of Europe. He has known Ukraine since 2007.

With his reports and photographs, Til Mayer tells of destruction, suffering, death, but above all, of courage and deep humanity. He tells of the war through the example of the men, women and children he meets. These are not politicians, but people who return to destroyed villages. Soldiers at their positions. Soldiers' widows in mourning for their husbands. People who endure shelling in their homes. Doctors who continue to do their duty in half-destroyed hospitals. Often, it is those who are in great danger and hardship who help others.

Reporting over such a long period of time is unfortunately becoming increasingly rare in this fast-paced world. With his black-and-white photographs, he slows down events even more and reduces them to the essential. He gets close to the events, while exposing himself to danger. In interviews, he constantly says that the danger that threatens him, compared to those he tells about in his reports, can be neglected. This is, of course, true. However, this does not reduce the risk for him.

This book was published with the support of the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany in Kyiv and the Ludwig Delp Foundation.