Chancellor photographer Konrad R. Müller dies at the age of 83
The photographer Konrad Rufus Müller - who became famous for his portraits of all German chancellors - has died at the age of 83. He succumbed to a long and serious illness on Saturday evening, his wife told the German Press Agency in Königswinter near Bonn on Sunday. The "Süddeutsche Zeitung" had previously reported.
His black-and-white photos of the chancellors - from Konrad Adenauer (CDU) to Olaf Scholz (SPD) - have an intense visual language; Müller dispensed with spotlights, tripods and other accessories. According to his own statement, he only ever used two cameras and avoided digital photography.
Müller was present on countless trips and appearances of the chancellors and became a contemporary witness, for example when Helmut Kohl met the Soviet head of state Mikhail Gorbachev in Bonn in the summer of 1989 or when the CDU politician visited French President François Mitterrand after the fall of the Berlin Wall to convince him of the necessity of German unity.
Müller had a particularly good relationship with SPD Chancellor Willy Brandt, whom he described as "my hero". In addition to the Chancellor pictures, Müller has realized numerous photo projects as a freelance photographer; his pictures are a journey back in time to the 1960s.
His photography skillfully captured the essence of German politics, with portraits of various chancellors such as Willy Brandt. The people's interest in politics was reflected in the widespread acclaim and fascination for Müller's black-and-white images.
Source: www.dpa.com
