Iconic photographer, Jurgen Schadeberg, has passed way. He was 89.
His wife Claudia announced the news on Linkedin.
Schadeberg drew his last breath on Saturday. He died of a stroke.
He was born in Berlin in 1931 and moved with his family to South Africa in 1950.
Working as Chief Photographer, Picture Editor, and Art Director at Drum Magazine – he captured some of South Africa’s historic events.
They include the 1952 Defiance Campaign, the Sophiatown forced removals and the Sharpeville funeral in 1960. His images also capture key personalities and events in the jazz and literary world such as the Sophiatown jazz scene with Dolly Rathebe, Miriam Makeba, Hugh Masekela and Kippie Moeketsi.
He is worked in Europe and the US, diversifying into film-making. At the time of his passing, he was regarded by some as South Africa’s Father of Photography and one of the greatest living photographers who has had a career that spans over 70 years.
Together with his producer wife Claudia, Jurgen established The Schadeberg Movie Company to produce a series of some 15 documentaries and dramas about South African social, cultural and political history.
In 2007, he was awarded the Officer’s Verdienst Kreuz First Class by the German President and in 2014 he received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the ICP in New York.
Also in 2014, Schadeberg was awarded a Doctorate for his life work by Valencia University Politecnica.
