Artwork

Photograph: 31. German-American Folk Festival in Berlin-Dahlem

Unknown , 1991

Photograph: 31. German-American Folk Festival in Berlin-Dahlem is a photography by Unknown. It dates from 1991 and is held in the collection of the Allied Museum.

About this work

Two men stand on a festival fairground. One wears army green. The other wears a suit. Both have feathers in their hair. Bright sun makes long shadows on the ground.

This photo shows a small moment from 1991. The festival mixed German and Native American culture. The man in uniform got a painted face like a warrior.

Look up the Museum of Ethnography to see more pictures like this one.

Overview

The photograph captures a brief episode from the opening ceremony of the 31st German‑American Folk Festival held in 1991 at the Hüttenweg fairgrounds in Berlin‑Dahlem. The event, themed “The Native Americans,” juxtaposed German and Indigenous American motifs, and the image records two participants amid the celebratory atmosphere.

Subject & Meaning

In the frame, Brigadier General Sidney Shachnow, then commander of the Berlin Brigade, stands beside Dieter Heckelmann, Berlin’s interior senator. Both men wear feathered adornments in their hair, a visual reference to Native American warrior regalia, underscoring the festival’s cross‑cultural dialogue.

Technique & Style

The photograph, taken in bright daylight, renders sharp contrasts between the deep green of the general’s uniform and the formal suit of the senator. Long shadows stretch across the ground, emphasizing the sun’s angle and lending a sense of immediacy to the ceremonial exchange.

History & Provenance

Created in 1991, the image forms part of the Allied Museum’s collection, documenting the festival’s public programming. It was later archived by the Museum of Ethnography, which preserves related visual material from the event.

Context

The German‑American Folk Festival was an annual gathering that blended German traditions with representations of Native American culture, reflecting post‑Cold War interest in multicultural exchange within Berlin’s public life.