About me
I was born in 1984 in East Berlin and grew up in Prenzlauer Berg. My professional path began in the trades as a trained painter and decorator. From early on, working with colour, design and materials played a central role. Alongside my apprenticeship, the digital world gradually opened up to me: web development, image editing and eventually photography became lasting companions.
Over several years, I worked in press and event photography, gaining diverse insights at the intersection of public life, culture and technology. Over time, my focus increasingly shifted towards digital structures and sustainable ways of working. My interest in clear systems and well-functioning processes led me further into technical responsibilities.
For around four years now, I have been working in system administration. In this role, I combine technical understanding with an awareness of stability, continuous development and the everyday needs of those who work with these systems. In addition, I have been volunteering for several years in an employee network for LGBTIQ*. As part of the communications team, I am currently supporting the transition towards agile working methods and open, networked collaboration.
Bornholmer Straße (1984–1993)
I spent my early years in the Nordic Quarter of Prenzlauer Berg, in close proximity to Bornholmer Straße. Everyday life was calm, manageable and well sheltered. Nursery school, playgrounds and short distances shaped this period. We travelled on foot or by tram to the turning loop at Björnsonstraße, to Arnimplatz or simply along the familiar streets of the neighbourhood.
The changes following 9 November 1989 did not appear to me as a political event, but as a visible transformation of the urban space. A whitewashed wall that had previously blocked the way to Norwegerstraße had suddenly disappeared. Routes that had once been dead ends opened up. In retrospect, this street corner represents for me a very concrete, almost incidental experience of freedom.
When I started school, I attended the newly restructured 20th Primary School on Schönfließer Straße. Afternoons were devoted to after-school care, playing, learning and the first established routines. Places such as Bösebrücke or Humboldthöhe only entered my awareness later, but became part of a growing understanding of my surroundings. At weekends, we often left the city, travelling to Potsdam, Bornstedt or my parents’ garden in Französisch-Buchholz. These shifts between the city and its outskirts shaped my early perception of spaces and transitions.
Hufelandstraße (1993–2001)
Moving to the Bötzow Quarter marked the beginning of a new phase. The late nineteenth-century residential building, with its high ceilings, wooden floorboards, tiled stoves and coal cellar, was characterised by improvisation and everyday routines. Heating the flat, carrying briquettes and the dust in the cellar were as much a part of life as the distinctive atmosphere of these buildings. The architecture, courtyards, sounds and smells shaped daily experience.
During this time, my everyday life increasingly opened up to the outside world. The children’s library became a regular destination, and radio plays and books accompanied many afternoons. After transferring to an arts-focused secondary school, art and literature moved further into the foreground. Museums, theatres and cultural venues became part of both school and private life. Berlin’s urban space effectively served as an extension of the classroom.
Even routine activities within the neighbourhood, such as delivering the local newspaper, opened up new perspectives. Different entrance halls, lofts, staircases and backyards fostered a nuanced sense of diversity and structure. Volkspark Friedrichshain became the central open space: sport, outdoor art lessons, explorations of Bunkerberg or quiet afternoons on the lawns were all part of everyday life. My radius of movement expanded, as did the sense of gradually making the city my own.
Magdalenenstraße (2001–2005)
After finishing school, I moved to Lichtenberg. This phase was characterised by a search for direction. My decision to train as a painter and decorator arose less from a clearly defined goal than from a desire to work practically and apply creative skills. The apprenticeship provided a solid understanding of materials, surfaces and craftsmanship processes.
At the same time, I began to engage more intensively with photography, digital image editing and web development. Initial personal projects took shape, I registered my own domain, published content and continued to develop it. The connection between design and technology grew organically, driven by curiosity and initiative.
As my confidence increased, opportunities in event and later press photography emerged. After completing my training, I moved into professional photojournalism and joined a British news network that was opening an office in Berlin at the time. These years were marked by learning, observing and developing my own perspective on visual reporting.
Konstanzer Straße (2005–present)
Entering professional photojournalism soon led me to Wilmersdorf and my first flat of my own. The location, good transport links and comparatively quiet surroundings provided a stable framework. The district itself is characterised less by dynamism than by continuity: weekly markets, green spaces, Preußenpark and the everyday life between administrative buildings shape its character.
Over the years, my professional focus gradually shifted away from photography towards digital projects. Independent online publications, website management and work on technical structures moved to the forefront. Web development offered me the opportunity to work in a more focused, sustainable and independent manner.
After further professional stages, this path ultimately led me into system administration. For around four years, I have been working in this field, focusing on the operation, development and stability of technical environments. In addition, I volunteer in an employee network for LGBTIQ*, where, as part of the communications team, I support a transformation towards agile working methods.
Friends & Memberships
My engagement is primarily rooted in the cultural and civic sphere. I support institutions and initiatives dedicated to photography, film, digital culture, the history of technology and broader civil society issues. I regard this commitment as an ongoing contribution to the stability of initiatives that depend on long-term support.
Friends
Places and projects I highly recommend for your next visit to Berlin.
Supporting Memberships
I concentrate my commitment across several areas: cultural and film funding, museum work, digital civil rights, historical education, as well as queer initiatives in Berlin and Brandenburg. The organisations supported are dedicated to independent culture, democratic values and social participation. These supporting memberships are intentionally long-term and represent a sustained contribution to the stabilisation and further development of these structures.
Short film support
Short films condense everyday situations into a limited timeframe, creating focused narratives that can be humorous, socially observant, or quietly critical. Their reduced form allows for precise storytelling and often leaves space for reflection beyond the final scene.
The projects presented here were supported through private crowdfunding contributions. The focus is on independent cinema, queer films, women in film, and productions that stand for artistic freedom, democratic values, and positive representation, with particular attention to projects developed in Europe or within a European context. New project ideas and early pitches are welcome.