Andrea Diefenbach

Andrea Diefenbach (born 1974) is a German documentary photographer.[1] She has made work about people in Ukraine and Moldova. In 2024, Diefenbach received the Dr. Erich Salomon Award from the German Society for Photography.

Early life and education

Diefenbach was born in Wiesbaden.[2] She graduated from Bielefeld University of Applied Sciences and Arts in 2006.[3]

Work

Her photobook Aids in Odessa (2008) is about the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Odessa, Ukraine. It was described in Dazed as containing "intimate moments of solitude, despair and hope". It includes a short introduction by each subject about how they contracted HIV.[4] For the photobook Land ohne Eltern (land without parents, 2012), for nearly a decade, Diefenbach followed the lives of Moldovan labor migrants in Italy and their families, particularly children, who remained in Moldova.[5][6] Realitatea (Reality, 2022) combines more photographs from Moldova—a country grappling with an identity crisis since gaining independence 30 years ago—with facsimiles of Moldovan newspapers and texts relating to political events of the previous ten years.[2]

Personal life

Diefenbach is based in Wiesbaden.[1]

Publications

Publications by Diefenbach

  • СПИД [spid] AIDS in Odessa. Berlin: Hatje Cantz, 2008. With an introduction by Boris Mikhailov.[4]
  • Land ohne Eltern = land without parents. Heidelberg: Kehrer, 2012. With essays by Nicola Abé, Dumitru Crudu, and Grigore Vieru. ISBN 978-3-86828-337-2. In English and German.
    • Second edition. Heidelberg: Kehrer, 2016. ISBN 978-3868287516.
  • Realitatea. Stuttgart: Hartmann. 2022. With essays by Martin Sieg and Andrei Avram, and an interview with Diefenbach by Pavel Brăila, Ovidio Tichindeleanu, Olga Ghilca and Nora Dorogan. ISBN 978-3-96070-085-2. In English.

Publications with contributions by Diefenbach

Awards

Solo exhibitions

References

  1. ^ a b "Andrea Diefenbach". Fotomuseum Winterthur. Retrieved 2025-08-16.
  2. ^ a b c "Andrea Diefenbach". German Society for Photography (in German). Retrieved 2025-08-16.
  3. ^ "About". Andrea Diefenbach. Retrieved 2025-08-16.
  4. ^ a b "Aids in Odessa by Andrea Diefenbach". Dazed. 2008-07-11. Retrieved 2025-08-16.
  5. ^ "The lonely children of Moldova – DW – 11/24/2014". Deutsche Welle. Retrieved 2025-08-17.
  6. ^ "Moldau: Andrea Diefenbach zeigt Fotos verlassener Kinder". Der Spiegel (Interview) (in German). 2012-09-22. ISSN 2195-1349. Retrieved 2025-08-17.
  7. ^ "Foto-Reportage von Andrea Diefenbach im Stadtmuseum: Einsamkeit hier und dort". Kulturvollzug (in German). Retrieved 2025-08-16.