Nelli Schmithals

Nelli Schmithals (born June 23, 1880 in Kreuznach , † June 12, 1975 in Bad Kreuznach ) was a German photographer .

Life

Schmithals had already started taking photos long before the First World War , first as a hobby and later as a profession. Her high demands became clear when she labeled her letterhead with "Photographic work for scientific and artistic purposes " and refused help with the various work (recording, development, retouching, ...) on the grounds that "they don't do it well enough for me" .

Towards the end of the First World War, Schmithals photographed Wilhelm II , Ludendorff and Hindenburg , who set up their headquarters in Bad Kreuznach, but soon left the city for Spa due to the flood disaster.

She received her first real appreciation for her work after the war, when the French marched into Bad Kreuznach in December 1918 and stayed there as an occupier for almost 12 years. During this time, German photographers were forbidden to take photos in the city without permission. Schmithals then tried to get the appropriate approval from the city commandant, but was turned down by the orderly officer. However, when Colonel Phillippe entered the room and looked at her pictures of the flood disaster, he complimented Schmithals: “Madame, vous êtes une artiste” (in German: Madame, you are an artist ). Thereupon she was given the right to go back to her profession for the rest of the occupation.

Nelli Schmithals succeeded again and again in surprising the professional world with her extraordinary photographs. She was doing work that many of her colleagues had already rejected as too difficult or impossible. Even today it is amazing how she was able to take photos of operations in the Bad Kreuznach hospital with her unwieldy equipment . Schmithals was also active in the archaeological field , for example she made recordings of new museum finds and reproduced stone drawings.

In the last year of the Second World War , all of their equipment was stolen or destroyed. However, since this was not recognized as war damage, due to her financial situation, she was unable to obtain new equipment and thus could no longer pursue her profession.

Nelli Schmithals died on June 12, 1975, almost 95 years old, in Bad Kreuznach. After her death, a street in her hometown was named after her.

Works

• Nelli Schmithals, Albert Rosenkranz: The Evangelical Church Kreuznach in pictures and history . Scheffel, Bad Kreuznach 1926 ( digitized version of the State Library Center Rhineland-Palatinate Koblenz)