Philipp Münch

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Philipp Münch (born February 27, 1930 in Mainz ) is a German photographer. As a contemporary witness of the Second World War and the post-war period in Mainz, he produced extensive photographic documentation, which received national and international attention in numerous exhibitions. He dedicated his life to international understanding and Franco-German reconciliation . Personal friendships and many cultural projects developed from numerous study trips.

First years

Philipp Münch spent his childhood in Mainz, where he experienced the outbreak of World War II at the age of 9. He survived several bombings , was even buried in a basement together with 36 other people and was later rescued from the burning building. After soldiers occupied his school building, he was discharged prematurely from middle school at the age of 13 and began an apprenticeship as a raster photographer in 1943 and later as an electrician. Initially, he worked for several years as an electrician in Mainz.

Working for international understanding and Franco-German reconciliation

Through a chance acquaintance with a Frenchman, Philipp Münch got a job in 1949 at Services Culturels , the cultural department of the French military administration, in the citadel of Mainz ; here he worked as a freelancer until 1956. In 1959, Münch was given a permanent position at the cultural department of the French embassy , for which he worked until 1970 (initially at the Mainz location, from 1964 in Bonn). In the course of his activities for the cultural reconstruction of his hometown, he conducted correspondence with well-known authors such as Roland Barthes and organized exhibitions. From 1970 to 1995 he was administrative director and technical assistant at the Fridtjof Nansen Academy in Ingelheim .

In addition to developing friendly relations with France after the Second World War, Münch also devoted his energies to building good neighborly relations with its eastern neighbors. For his life's work he was awarded the Rhineland-Palatinate Medal of Merit in 2013 and the Ordre national du Mérite , the French national order of merit, in 2017 .

As a contemporary witness of the Second World War and the post-war period in Mainz, Philipp Münch is still involved today as a contemporary witness. He gives interviews and gives lectures, for example at schools and the Johannes Gutenberg University in Mainz .

Exhibitions and lectures (selection)

  • 2006: Dijon 1956 - bridging to Burgundy , Gau-Algesheim
  • 2010: New beginnings - photographic highlights of the 50s , Mainz City Hall
  • 2015: When advertising was art , Institut Francais Mainz
  • 2018: The 50s on the Mainz Citadel - Reconstruction and Life

Awards (selection)

Honorary positions (selection)

Individual evidence

  1. ^ David Kost: archivist, chronicler and bridge builder: Philipp Münch is 90. In: Allgemeine-zeitung.de. March 2, 2020, accessed March 9, 2020 .
  2. ↑ Short biography of Philipp Münch. In: altepatrone.net. Retrieved September 4, 2019 .
  3. ↑ Short biography of Philipp Münch. In: altepatrone.net. Retrieved September 4, 2019 .
  4. ↑ State Gazette for Rhineland-Palatinate No. 12 / April 22, 2013, p. 4
  5. ^ Companion of German-French friendship: Philipp Münch from Mainz honored with French Order of Merit. In: Allgemeine-zeitung.de. July 11, 2017, accessed September 4, 2019 .
  6. ^ Dijon 1956 - bridging to Burgundy. In: bistummainz.de. Retrieved September 4, 2019 .
  7. ↑ Awakening - Photographic Highlights of the 1950s. In: stadtleben.de. March 3, 2010, accessed September 4, 2019 .
  8. ↑ WHEN ADVERTISING WAS ART - SPECIAL EXHIBITION FOR THE MAINZ MUSEUM NIGHT. In: mainz.institutfrancais.de. May 27, 2015, accessed September 4, 2019 .
  9. ↑ The 50s on the Mainz Citadel - Reconstruction and Life. In: mainz.de. November 21, 2018, accessed September 4, 2019 .
personal data
SURNAME Münch, Philipp
BRIEF DESCRIPTION German photographer
DATE OF BIRTH February 27, 1930
PLACE OF BIRTH Mainz