Max Brugger

since october last year, i have been working on a new project about the so-called “verschickungskinder” (“sent-away children”). between 1950 and 1990, around 10 million children across germany were sent away to convalescent homes, with roughly 1.8 million of them placed in facilities in north rhine-westphalia, germany. the project looks into the fate of children in nrw who were sent away under the promise of “recovery” and “preventive health care.” many travelled far away on their own, separated from their parents, only to encounter harsh conditions, neglect, and even abuse. experiences that remained largely hidden in post-war history for decades. many of these homes, run by churches, welfare organisations, and private operators, claimed to care for children’s health but strict routines and punitive methods were common. some staff had previously worked in nazi-era institutions, and authoritarian practices from the third reich persisted in certain facilities. for a long time, these experiences went largely unspoken. today, numerous accounts reveal a reality shaped by fear, isolation, and violence. practices such as intimidation, confinement, sexual abuse, forced feeding, and the use of psychotropic drugs have since been documented. the consequences have been long-lasting: many former patients continue to struggle with the psychological and physical effects, while others were permanently broken by what they endured. the work deals with the past, trauma, healing, and resilience. together with @kinderverschickungen_nrw , i’ll continue working in the coming months and i’m grateful to help make the stories of those affected more visible and acknowledged. #kinderverschickung #germany #nrw #children #potrait

„may this place always be a cry of despair and a warning to mankind.“ never again is now. from last year’s commemoration of the 80th anniversary of the liberation of auschwitz-birkenau. #auschwitz #auschwitzbirkenau #neveragain #neveragainisnow #weremember

for @zeit i went to gelsenkirchen, where one of the largest bank robberies in german criminal history took place over the christmas holidays. the robbers gained access to the vault through an underground parking garage and several storage rooms, breaking into more than 3.000 safe deposit boxes with an estimated value in the double-digit million range. text: celine schäfer thanks @ahrens.tina 🙏🏻 #gelsenkirchen #sparkasse #bankraub #germany #bankrobbery

uniper, germany’s largest gas importer and a major power producer, once set out to become a flagship of the green energy transition. but for now, that vision is stuck in a holding pattern. while lng terminals were built at record speed, the company’s hydrogen ambitions are stalling amid a lack of customers and political uncertainty. at the same time, pressure is mounting on the state-owned group to attract investors - even if that means relying more on gas rather than green growth. a few weeks ago, i met uniper ceo michael lewis in duesseldorf and, together with editor florian güßgen, visited unipers power plant in gelsenkirchen-scholven to gain a first-hand look at how the company’s transition is unfolding. published in last weeks issue of @wirtschaftswoche photo editor: silke eisen #wirtschaftswoche #uniper #ceo #michaellewis #energy #portrait #documentary

portraits of hanno sauer, philosopher and author, for der @freitag . the interview explores the roots of social inequality and asks what defines “class.” hanno sauer argues that it is shaped less by money than by prestige, education, lifestyle, and subtle status signals that are hard to imitate. published in this weeks issue. thanks @annkristinziegler 🙏🏻 #portrait #hannosauer #philosopher #derfreitag

gelsenkirchen has come to symbolize the problems of the ruhr area since the end of coal mining. unemployment, poverty and a visible structural transformation shape the city. for the dutch newspaper @nrcnl nynke van verschuer and i followed the „quartierservice“ - a municipal neighborhood service by caritas, where long-term unemployed people like daniel hornig and nico schmidt make their rounds to keep an eye on the district and report issues. their work shows how much residents long for stability and belonging. at the same time, even the formerly vibrant schalker meile, once full of pubs and meeting places around fc schalke 04, now feels desolate and reflects the decline of the neighborhood. after yesterday’s local elections, it became clear that the afd secured a significant share of the vote, making gelsenkirchen a mirror of the region’s social tensions: the loss of jobs and community, growing dissatisfaction among residents, and the simultaneous rise of populist forces. editor: @heleenpeeters text: nynke van verschuer published in today’s issue of @nrcnl #gelsenkirchen #caritas #quartierservice #ruhrgebiet #kommunalwahl

portrait of nela kruschinski for @zeit . in early april, police raided the home of nela kruschinski, then 17 and head of the local young socialists (jusos) in menden, sauerland, after she was suspected of spraying political slogans against chancellor friedrich merz. the arnsberg regional court now ruled that the raid was unlawful. editor @nadinetorneri interview kaja klapsa #portrait #nelakruschinski #jusos #spd #merz #diezeit

around 420 recruits of the german armed forces publicly took their ceremonial oath for the first time in front of the state parliament of north rhine-westphalia in duesseldorf. critics claimed the state parliament used the event, with a leopard 2 tank and military equipment, to promote armed service and normalize militarism. the entire series is available at archive.laif.de #bundeswehr #gelöbnis #nrw #düsseldorf #germany #laif

besides the paramedic ‘sven’, i also portrayed harald karutz for der spiegel, a professor of psychosocial crisis management who volunteers to provide psychosocial support for the fire department in mülheim an der ruhr. “as a young man, karutz himself trained as an paramedic too. he still remembers being called during his civilian service to a young woman who had collapsed dead on the street, in front of her fiancé. ‘that was incredibly tragic. but then we got in the vehicle, drove back to the station, and that was it.’ it was a different time, says karutz: ‘everyone just dealt with it on their own, and then you just moved on.’ but today it is known: the risk of developing depression and post-traumatic stress disorder is significantly higher for emergency responders than for the general population. many report emotional exhaustion. harald karutz says that being confronted with death and suffering has given him a different sense of the value of his own lifetime.” text sandra schulz editor @philine.gebhardt for @spiegelmagazin #derspiegel #rettungsdienst #portrait #porträt #notfallseelsorge

a few weeks ago, i portrayed paramedic sven (name changed) for der spiegel. sven works for a fire department in north rhine-westphalia, where he serves both in emergency medical services and fire protection. nearly ten years ago, he responded to a call that would leave a lasting mark on him and eventually lead to his post-traumatic stress disorder. he still recalls every detail of that day as if it had just happened. at one point, sven came close to taking his own life, but he managed to pull himself back and sought help - support that enabled him to begin coping with what he had experienced. an emotional article written by sandra schulz about the psychological strain on emergency responders. for @spiegelmagazin thank you @philine.gebhardt for the call! #derspiegel #rettungsdienst #portrait #paramedic

two years ago, i accompanied the ultracycling rider fritz geers during his biggest and most challenging race so far, the race across america. the raam is considered one of the toughest and most demanding cycling races in the world, covering nearly 5,000 km. riders cross the usa from the west to the east coast, passing through deserts, mountains, unpredictable weather conditions like thunderstorms and extreme heat, and multiple time zones. this incredible feat is completed without stages - riders push through the entire distance in one go. fritz finished the race in 2023 with a record as the youngest german to ever complete it, in just over 10 days, placing 7th overall. right now, he’s back on his bike, fighting his way across the usa again. unfortunately, the desert - with temperatures around 45 degrees celsius - showed no mercy this time, and he had to pause for nearly a day due to a heavy heatstroke. but now he’s gathered all his strength and is pushing forward once more. lets go fritz! go check @fritzgeers.de / @raamraces thanks to @nikondach for the support #raam #raceacrossamerica #usa #ultracycling #fritzgeersultrasportler

today is the 81th anniversary of the allied invasion of europe on june 6th 1944. d-day marks the beginning of the end of fascism and nazi tyranny in europe. over the past six years, i’ve returned to normandy many times as part of my long-term work exploring how we remember the history of the second world war in europe. the region has become a deeply meaningful place for me - one where i’ve shed many tears, forged lasting friendships, and gained profound insights into our shared history. at the same time, it has led me to question the ways in which we commemorate the past. images are excerpts of the work ‚altlasten‘. #altlasten #dday81 #remembrance #normandy #france #dday #ww2 #documentary #history