1937–2013, was a German photographer, filmmaker, and writer whose work was shaped by social critique, anti-colonialism, and peace politics. He began working with photography in the mid-1950s, a period in which his politically engaged perspective found little acceptance in West Germany during the years of postwar reconstruction and economic growth.

Alvermann produced extensive photo reportages across Europe and North Africa, including projects in Spain, Algeria, Albania, Italy, England, and both German states. While his work appeared only sporadically in West German publications, it was widely published in the GDR and internationally. His early photographic output is documented in the influential photobooks Algeria – L’Algérie (1960) and No Experiments – Images on the Basic Law (1961). A planned book on Spain was cancelled for political reasons.

From the 1960s onward, Alvermann also worked in documentary film, including as a director for East German television between 1972 and 1976. Nearly all films he directed there were lost during the dismantling of the GDR broadcasting system after German reunification. His major photographic books from this period include A Handful of Luck (1969), Rostock (1970), and the widely regarded I Love You (1979).

Alongside photography, Alvermann increasingly focused on writing, publishing autobiographical prose and children’s literature. In the 2000s, he presented several retrospective publications, including Between Times (2006), dacapo (2008), and Highlights 1956–65 (2012). Today, his photographic work is regarded as a politically sensitive and historically significant record of postwar Europe.

Reference
Biography text from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA), German edition. Retrieved January 19, 2026.
https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dirk_Alvermann_(Fotograf)