This project has been realized in Germany from March 25th to May 8th, 2020.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel spoke out in favor of a “measure and middle“ approach to the new coronavirus. At that time, 28 February 2020, with less than 50 confirmed infections in Germany, large parts of the population did not believe that the virus could harm this country, which has one of the best healthcare systems and the strongest market economy in Europe.
Despite more than 160,000 (6th May 2020) confirmed cases, the situation in Germany appeared to differ from that in neighboring countries. Large parts of the population supported the government‘s strict regulations, the health system had not collapsed, the percentage of fatalities was comparatively low.
This photo-essay is a journey through a nation that is almost shut down. For more than six weeks the photographer crisscrossed the country in search for the small stories that play out within a global pandemic. He took photographs on the frontlines and in the backyards of the Corona crisis to create a coherent, more comprehensive and personal document of the situation.

The COVID-19 pandemic forced the population to find new and creative ways to deal with the situation and by that find ways to do what they love and what they are passionate about. Which measures were taken, which solutions were found? What distinguished Germany from other countries in crisis management? How were the weakest members of society coping? My photographic essay “Measure and Middle“ examines the state of German society – a nation that is often associated with bureaucracy, control and order – during an exceptional time of crisis.

Photo copyright: © Ingmar Björn Nolting