Charlotte Schmitz

  • la puente
  • çok güzelim, çok güzel
  • take me to Jermany
  • garden of lost dreams
  • najet
  • untitled
  • living in light, air and sun
  • yo soy lo que soy
  • about
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2016

»Take me to Jermany!« is what asylum seekers often brought to Charlotte Schmitz and wrote on polaroids, as she was photographing on the Greek Island Lesvos, at the Macedonian border or in Turkey. While often meant as an introductory, the underlying desire was uttermost sincerity. In 2015 many people fleeing war and persecution took the dangerous route from Turkey to Greece looking out for a new home in Europe. Germany accepted a large number of asylum-seekers and took a leading role in coordinating the EU’s response to handle the migrant crisis, thus becoming for many a symbol of welcoming culture and new home.
                       
But Europe has decided that enough have come to their continent, as a result dubious deals have been made between the EU, Turkey, and other countries to prevent migrants from crossing borders. The EU member states didn’t handle the crisis together, instead the whole scenario seems like a huge step backwards in terms of collaboration within the Union. To cut the whole crisis to the chase, a young refugee in Greece wrote »I see only Humans, not Humanity« on his polaroid.
 
Charlotte sees the people she photographs as active participants to her work, and gives them the chance to tell their own stories. As such, they wrote their thoughts and feelings in their own words – mostly in their native languages – on polaroids she took of them. This made them not just to co-authors, but also humanizes the whole crisis. Charlotte‘s interest goes beyond the medium and the media, she practices photography as activism and believes in the importance of using her role as a professional photographer to mediate positive change. Her work focuses on how activism can be part of the process rather than just the conventional creation of an image.

 »I love Star Wars. I am not happy from Lageso*. Soheil Khan. Afghanistan, Baghlan« Berlin, Germany *refugee registration office in Berlin

»I love Star Wars. I am not happy from Lageso*. Soheil Khan. Afghanistan, Baghlan«

Berlin, Germany


*refugee registration office in Berlin

 Lesvos, Greecex
Lesvos, Greecex
 Lesvos
Lesvos
 »I see only Humans, Not Humanity. We met in Turkey and are travelling both since about 2 years. Dappy, Josh« Eidomeni, Greek/Macedonian border
»I see only Humans, Not Humanity. We met in Turkey and are travelling both since about 2 years. Dappy, Josh«

Eidomeni, Greek/Macedonian border
 »Im alone Sajid 17« Eidomeni, Greek/Macedonian border
»Im alone
Sajid 17«


Eidomeni, Greek/Macedonian border
 »My uncle sold me to a man who raped me every day. I was promised a better life in Istanbul but they took my passport and forced me to work as a prostitute. Now I stand in front of a closed border. I dont know what to do now. Am Phiona« Eidomeni, Greek/Macedonian border
»My uncle sold me to a man who raped me every day. I was promised a better life in Istanbul but they took my passport and forced me to work as a prostitute. Now I stand in front of a closed border. I dont know what to do now. Am Phiona«

Eidomeni, Greek/Macedonian border
 »Wasiem: I was on this« Lesvos, Greece
»Wasiem: I was on this«

Lesvos, Greece
 »Im going to Germany. Mohammad Kabir, 65 Afghanistan, Kabul« Lesvos, Greece
»Im going to Germany.
Mohammad Kabir, 65 Afghanistan, Kabul«

Lesvos, Greece
 »Reza Rahmati. One of our last memories was this stormy weather. I was two hours on the boat. I am Reza and was two days in the mountain« Lesvos, Greece
»Reza Rahmati. One of our last memories was this stormy weather. I was two hours on the boat. I am Reza and was two days in the mountain«

Lesvos, Greece
 »Dawoud Shah and Maryam. I love Maryam so much. We left Afghanistan three days after our wedding.« Lesvos, Greece
»Dawoud Shah and Maryam. I love Maryam so much. We left Afghanistan three days after our wedding.«

Lesvos, Greece
 Kara Tepe Camp Lesvos, Greece
Kara Tepe Camp

Lesvos, Greece

 »Maher 10« Kırıkhan, Turkish/Syrian border
»Maher 10«

Kırıkhan, Turkish/Syrian border
 »God live to Germany. Youssef, Marocco, 25 years old« Eidomeni, Greek/Macedonian borde
»God live to Germany. Youssef, Marocco, 25 years old«

Eidomeni, Greek/Macedonian borde
 »My father is here because of me and my future. Hamase, 8« Eidomeni, Greek/Macedonian border
»My father is here because of me and my future. Hamase, 8«

Eidomeni, Greek/Macedonian border
 »Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Pakistan, Iran, Turkey, Greece Pavel (24)« Eidomeni, Greek/Macedonian border
»Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Pakistan, Iran, Turkey, Greece
Pavel (24)«

Eidomeni, Greek/Macedonian border
 »I love Germany more then u Love Germany« Lesvos, Greece
»I love Germany more then u Love Germany«

Lesvos, Greece
 »When I have to go back Iran, they kill me. Mohamad Karimi« Eidomeni, Greek/Macedonian border
»When I have to go back Iran, they kill me.
Mohamad Karimi«

Eidomeni, Greek/Macedonian border
 »My love to my son and to live with him made me risk my life because I prevented him from the death in Syria.« Izmir, Turkey

»My love to my son and to live with him made me risk my life because I prevented him from the death in Syria.«


Izmir, Turkey



 »Visa is seperating me from my family.« Izmir, Turkey
»Visa is seperating me from my family.«

Izmir, Turkey
 Cemetary Izmir, Turkey
Cemetary

Izmir, Turkey

 »My home« Kırıkhan, Turkish/Syrian border
»My home«

Kırıkhan, Turkish/Syrian border
 »I live in Turkey to work and to feed my children. I was studying history in Syria at Aleppo University, I used to teach at school. Faisal Wallo. I am 29 years old« Kırıkhan, Turkish/Syrian border
»I live in Turkey to work and to feed my children. I was studying history in Syria at Aleppo University, I used to teach at school.
Faisal Wallo. I am 29 years old«

Kırıkhan, Turkish/Syrian border
 »I am strong I can work. Aleppo State, 14« Kırıkhan, Turkish/Syrian border
»I am strong I can work. Aleppo State, 14«

Kırıkhan, Turkish/Syrian border
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Charlotte Schmitz
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