History Through Lens & Ink: War & Politics in German Press 2025
The Haus der Geschichte (House of History) in Bonn opened its doors on March 10, 2026, to host “Rückblende 2025” – a retrospective exhibition showcasing the best in German political photography and caricature of the previous year. The exhibition, co-hosted with the State Representation of Rhineland-Palatinate, will run until April 19, 2026.
The exhibition highlights a year marked by significant political shifts, including the transition of power in Germany from Chancellor Olaf Scholz to Friedrich Merz in May 2025, and the commencement of a second term for Donald Trump in the White House. “Rückblende 2025” aims to provide commentary on these and other key events, offering recent perspectives on a turbulent year, according to organizers.
At the opening event, State Secretary and jury chair Heike Raab presented the competition’s winners. Harald Biermann, President of the House of History Foundation, and Moritz Post of the duo M.F. Deubel, winners of the caricature prize, then discussed their winning work. The awarded caricature depicts President Donald Trump wielding a sledgehammer against the Abraham Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C., a pointed commentary on contemporary debates surrounding historical symbols and political staging.
The exhibition features not only the winning entries but a comprehensive overview of all submissions, available online at www.rueckblende.rlp.de. A photograph by Katharina Kausches, capturing an “Investitionsgipfel” (investment summit) at the Chancellery, served as inspiration for a winning caricature by Teresa Habild. Habild’s work satirizes the predominantly male composition of the summit, with a caption suggesting a patriarchal resurgence.
The winning photograph, titled “Kanzlerdämmerung” (Chancellor’s Twilight), documents the handover of the Chancellery between Olaf Scholz and Friedrich Merz. The competition, organized by the Federal Association of Digital Publishers and Newspaper Publishers, the Federal Press Conference, and the State Representation of Rhineland-Palatinate, recognizes excellence in photojournalism and political caricature.
The WDR 3 Mosaik program highlighted the exhibition, noting the imagery of Scholz’s farewell ceremony and Trump’s provocative caricature as key representations of 2025. The program also featured commentary on Trump’s shifting stance on the Iran conflict, and a discussion of early feminist texts.