Night on Demimonde
Nacht im Milieu
The Kölner Ringe, the Friesenviertel, the Eigelstein - in the 1960s these places were considered the "Little Chicago on the Rhine".
At the end of the 1980s, times became quieter; the Cologne milieu is rarely good for headlines anymore. The strongholds of the milieu, dance halls, bars and pubs such as the discotheques "Showboat" and "Love Story", in which the demimonde greats such as "Schäfers Nas" or "Dummse Tünn" used to stake out their territories, have lost their relevance. However, while the milieu still laments the lost legends, the remnants of the trade are going to the basis of existence.
The police and the public prosecutor's office have been replaced by city representatives and the insurance company "Gerling". Via subsidiaries, "Gerling" buys more and more houses and dries up the establishments located there. Only a few discotheques and cafes in the Friesenviertel and Eigelstein districts have remained in the milieu as an amusement mile.
A documentary journey into the 90s of Cologne's nightlife in the Friesenviertel and Eigelstein districts and a trip to Cologne's Eroscenter "Pascha". Photographed in the years 1989 - 1990 and 1997. Nacht im Milieu is a part of the cycle Power and Ritual.
Power and Ritual at Art Fair kunstKÖLN, booth Van der Grinten, 2001
Vintage gelatin silver prints, different formats from 24x30cm up to a size of 80x120cm, sig., stamp., notes, 1990-2004 and Cibachrome Prints, 80x120cm, sig., st., Unikate, 2004
Click on the photographs for image descriptions
