Image estate of the GDR photographer Heinz Woost

© UAdTUD

Heinz Woost was born in Radebeul on April 29, 1922. He attended the Schiller School here. The rapid developments in the fields of film and photography had already fascinated him as a ten-year-old. Thus, even at this age, he photographed a zeppelin hovering over Radebeul with a plate camera. After graduating from elementary school in 1936, he began a three-year apprenticeship as a flat printer at the Union-Werke in Radebeul. He was then drafted into the Reichsarbeitsdienst (National Labor Service), and in 1940 into the Wehrmacht and the Luftwaffe. Once the relevant requirements had been met, he was deployed on long-range reconnaissance missions, mainly in the Mediterranean region. In Sicily, Heinz Woost was seriously wounded and returned from the war as an arm-amputee invalid.
From 1945 to 1950 Heinz Woost worked in Dresden as a new teacher, then until 1954 as a photographer. An advertisement in the newspaper led to a collaboration with the cameraman Ernst Hirsch and thus also with the "Aktuelle Kamera" of the Deutsche Fernsehfunk (current news program of the GDR television - note of the university archive). The coverage initially covered the entire GDR, later mainly the Dresden district. The edited film footage was transported to Berlin by courier, plane or train to be available in time for broadcast. Until 1958, Heinz Woost was a freelance employee of Aktuelle Kamera, after which he was hired on a permanent basis. During this time, he had many interesting encounters, e.g. with Manfred v. Ardenne, the painter Otto Dix, the Kreuzkantor Rudolf Mauersberger or foreign delegations from business and culture. However, there were also difficult situations and discussions with, among others, representatives of the SED district leadership. Heinz Woost was also political non-party.
In 1961, Heinz Woost received a certificate of confirmation as a cameraman for German Television, and in 1966 he graduated from the School of Journalism.
After working for Aktuelle Kamera for 17 years, 15 of them alone together with cameraman Erich Hirsch, Heinz Woost worked at Studio Dresden in various positions and for departments in Berlin-Adlershof.
After 33 years of working for GDR television, he retired in 1987.
Heinz Woost donated about 20000 photographic images to the university archive, including all associated rights. In the following internet presentation we present a selection of the taken photographs from about 30 years of history of the GDR, especially from the areas around Dresden and Chemnitz.
In his estate there are interesting contemporary photographs of Saxon landscapes, cities, especially Dresden, of companies, of political and propagandistic events and especially of everyday life in the Dresden area. Heinz Woost filmed and photographed GDR politicians, scientists, artists, workers, employees and farmers, especially in the Dresden area. With the partial publication of the photographic estate of Heinz Woost, the University Archive wants to give an insight into the multifaceted photographic tradition from about 30 years of history of the Dresden area.

To the photographic estate of Heinz Woost in the Deutsche Fotothek

If you have any questions, please contact Mr. Heubner.