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Fotografieren Hieß Teilnehmen Gerda Taro (1910 – 1937)

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Fotografieren Hieß Teilnehmen Gerda Taro (1910 – 1937) Bilder und Zeichen 113 Irme Schaber Fotografieren hieß teilnehmen Gerda Taro (1910 – 1937) Fotografieren hieß teilnehmen, lautet der Titel eines Standardwerks über Foto- grafinnen in der Weimarer Republik. Für Gerda Taro, deren Geschichte und Werk lange Zeit vergessen war, trifft dies ganz besonders zu. Sie war die erste Fotogra- fin, die Reportagen inmitten des Kampfgeschehens fotografierte und die erste, die in einem Krieg umkam. Als im Juli 1936 General Franco mit Unterstützung des Deutschen Reiches einen Militärputsch gegen die Spanische Republik führte, begann einer der grau- samsten Konflikte des 20. Jahrhunderts. Die Fotografin Gerda Taro engagierte sich umgehend mit vielen Künstlern und Kollegen im Kampf gegen den Faschis- mus. Wie Ernest Hemingway, George Orwell und ihr Lebensgefährte Robert Capa unterstützte sie das demokratisch gewählte, republikanische Spanien. Taro fotografierte ein Jahr lang an nahezu allen Fronten. Die Pionierin der modernen Kriegsfotografie schuf einige der dramatischsten und am häufigsten veröffent- lichten Bilder dieses Krieges. Leider bildet ihr spanisches Werk zugleich Anfang und Ende einer allzu kurzen Karriere. Im Juli 1937 verunglückte Gerda Taro als erste Kriegsfotografin bei der Arbeit tödlich. Gerda Taro wurde 1910 als Gerta Pohorylle in Stuttgart geboren. 1929 zog die Familie nach Leipzig. Nach der Machtübernahme der Nationalsozialisten wurde sie wegen einer antifaschistischen Flugblattaktion verhaftet. Im Herbst 1933 floh die junge jüdische Frau nach Paris, wo sie den ungarischen Fotografen André Fried- mann kennen lernte. Während sie als Bildagentin arbeitete, wurde er ihr Lehrer an der Kamera. Um sich besser vermarkten zu können und um das soziale Stigma des Flüchtlings loszuwerden, kreierten sie Künstlernamen mit einem Hauch von Hol- lywood. Das Fotografenpaar nannte sich Robert Capa und Gerda Taro. Im Sommer 1936 gehörte das junge Team mit zu den ersten offiziell akkreditierten Fotojour- nalisten in Barcelona. Für die beiden jüdischen Emigranten war der Krieg eine fotojournalistische Herausforderung und der Kampf gegen den Faschismus, die Verteidigung der Republik, war verknüpft mit dem eigenen Schicksal. Der Spanische Bürgerkrieg war der erste moderne Medienkrieg. Die fotogra- fische Berichterstattung verschuf dem Millionenpublikum der illustrierten Mas- senpresse eine imaginäre Augenzeugenschaft von Revolution und Krieg. Taro und Capa erkannten bereits vor der Zerstörung von Guernica, dass dieser Krieg ein Zivilisationsbruch war. Taro dokumentierte couragiert die Bombenangriffe der deutschen „Legion Condor“, setzte sich über Frontverbote hinweg und fotogra- fierte in den vorderen Linien. Sie hatte den sicheren und distanzierten Standpunkt Feministische Studien (© Lucius & Lucius, Stuttgart) 1 / 11 114 Bilder und Zeichen herkömmlicher Berichterstatter hinter sich gelassen und suchte neue Blickwinkel und Formen für eine solidarische Partizipation. Dieser fotohistorisch bedeutsame Positions- und Perspektivenwechel kostete Gerda Taro das Leben. Bei einem has- tigen Rückzug der republikanischen Truppen stürzte die Fotografin während eines Luftangriffs vom Trittbrett eines Fahrzeugs und wurde von einem Panzer erfasst. In Paris wurde Gerda Taro als antifaschistische Märtyrerin gefeiert. Zehntausende ka- men zu ihrem Begräbnis. In den Medien erfuhren ihre Bilder durch ihren Kriegstod erhöhtes Interesse. Die Nähe zum Geschehen, Lebensgefahr und Tod wurden fortan bei der Arbeit von Kriegsfotografen zu zentralen Kriterien von Authentizität. Irme Schaber, Gerta Taro: Fotoreporterin im Spanischen Bürgerkrieg. Eine Biografie, Marburg 1994. Gerda Taro, ed. by Irme Schaber, Richard Whelan, Kristen Lubben, New York / Göttingen 2007. The Mexican Suitcase, The Rediscovered Spanish Civil War Negatives by Capa, Chim, and Taro, New York / Göttingen 2010. Gerda Taro, Stuttgart, ca. 1927/28 Unbekannter Fotograf © Collection Irme Schaber Darstellung von Gerda Taros Tod auf einem amerikanischen Kaugummi-Sammelbild aus der Serie „True Stories of Modern Warfare“ (Recto und Verso), Card 89, Gum Inc., Philadelphia 1938 Bilder und Zeichen 115 Gerda Taro Gerda Taro Republikanische Milizionärinnen beim Training am Republikanische Milizionärin beim Training am Strand, in der Nähe von Barcelona, August 1936 Strand, in der Nähe von Barcelona, August 1936 © International Center of Photography, New York © International Center of Photography, New York Gerda Taro Republikanische Milizionäre, Barcelona, August 1936 © International Center of Photography, New York Taros Bildstrecken aus Barcelona spiegeln die Revolutions- und Aufbruchsstim- mung im Sommer 1936 wider. Als sie am 5. August die katalanische Hauptstadt erreichte, schien der faschistische Putsch erst einmal abgewendet. Die Menschen fühlten sich stark, waren erleichtert. Taros Bilder beleuchten die Eroberung der Straße und den hoffnungsvollen Ausnahmezustand jener Wochen: Auf Barrika- den spielende Kinder, glückliche Paare, Verköstigung im Grand Hotel, patroullie- rende Frauen im „Mono Azul“, der blauen Kluft der Arbeiter. Aufnahmen von weiblichen Milizkräften erfuhren in den internationalen Medien eine enorme Nachfrage. Für Zeitungsmacher in London oder Paris verkörperten diese Kämp- ferinnen die spanische Revolution. Die uniformierten Frauen symbolisierten ein neues Rollenverständnis und standen für die elementaren politischen und gesell- schaftlichen Umbrüche in Spanien. Dagegen wurden bewaffnete Frauen in der faschistischen und konservativen Presse als Huren und Flintenweiber charakteri- siert und der Widerstand der Republik als schwach und weibisch denunziert. .
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