- Formative Years
- (1891-1913)
On June 19th,1891 in Berlin, a budding rebel was born. Not blessed with a normal childhood, young Helmut Herzfeld always showed a passion and a gift for the visual arts. Want to know more...
- World War I and the Seeds of Protest
- (1914-1920)
With WWI raging on, 25 year old Herzfeld was conscripted into active service in the German Military. A creative act enabled him to gain his release from service and a barbaric slogan sparked a name change to John Heartfield and a career fueled by protest. Want to know more...
- Photography as a Weapon
- (1921-1932)
Having always been associated with the arts and publishing,Heartfield turned his attention to photomontage. His works evoked emotion rarely seen, as Heartfield used his works to challenge society and the government that ran his homeland. Want to know more...
- One Man's War Against Hitler
- (1933-1945)
When Hitler and fascism began to take over Germany, Heartfield fled to Czechoslovakia. But the exhibiting of his anti-fascist works weakened diplomacy between the two nations. England was Heartfield's next stop where he unveiled "One Man's War Against Hitler", was declared an enemy and imprisoned, and met his third wife. Want to know more...
"Immigrating" Home and Gaining Recognition (1946-1968)
With political tensions cooling in Germany in the late 1940's, Heartfield was able to return to his home country. Finally, he had learned the respect of his countrymen, become a professor, and received prestigous awards. Still busy with his work, health problems caught up with him and he passed away in 1968. Want to know more...