Memory of the land

All human cultures, all generations have left their own traces on society and the environment, layer by layer, shaping unique places and distinct regions, engraving achievements as well as mistakes. A landscape makes time visible. Growing up in the socialist part of Germany, I was sensitized to social and environmental issues. Officially, they did not exist even if they were obvious. After moving to northern Minnesota/USA from Germany in 2008, I soon learned about social and environmental challenges that caught my interest. I started to find out underlying causes of issues, which lead me to exploring the stories of places in the region where I live now. Not everything can be shown in an image. Underneath a picturesque landscape, an environmental threat or a piece of history that is unknown, forgotten, or ignored might be hidden. Things may not be exactly as they appear to the naked eye. Therefore, I added captions for context. Viewers may decide for themselves to just look at a photo or to learn more about the places’ stories. With this ongoing project I want to encourage critical reflections about the past, the present, and the traces we will leave for future generations.