‘WAR ZONES’ – exhibition by Martin Roemers: Berlin-Gatow

Daily life in a war zone

What does it mean to live under constant tension and danger? How does this affect people? And what does it mean for soldiers, whose profession involves confronting threats to life and limb?

Twenty-five years after the start of the mission in Afghanistan, the Military History Museum at Berlin-Gatow Airfield is exhibiting 35 large-format photographs by Dutch photographer Martin Roemers, who accompanied Dutch contingents on peace missions in the Balkans and at the beginning of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan between 1997 and 2002.

It was not only in the Balkans and Afghanistan that Dutch and German soldiers were close partners. The armed forces of both countries maintain a uniquely close partnership that is unparalleled in Europe and is also reflected in this exhibition.

A young Afghan man kneels in prayer on a dirt road with military vehicles and soldiers behind him.

Harsh reality

Roemers is not a war photographer. His aim is not to capture combat scenes. Instead, his black-and-white photographs immerse us in the harsh, bleak and tense everyday life of war zones. Mistrust, tension, despair and exhaustion are evident in the images. The events took place more than two decades ago, yet the atmosphere they capture – the situations in field camps, on patrol, at checkpoints and in direct contact with local people – remains timeless and resonates with war zones around the world.

A black-and-white portrait of a middle-aged woman in uniform against a dark background.

Portraits from Kabul

Using an Afghan Kamra-e-Faoree – an old camera housed in a large wooden box that also serves as a darkroom – Roemers took portraits of Dutch soldiers at NATO’s Camp Warehouse in Kabul in 2002, images that convey a haunting sense of authenticity.

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