German photographer of Vietnam war passes away at 88
Thomas Billhard, the renowned German photographer and journalist famous for his iconic photos about the war in Vietnam, has passed away at the age of 88.
Photographer Thomas Billhardt and Vietnamese soldiers. (Photo courtesy of Thomas Billhardt)
Berlin (VNA) - Thomas Billhard, the renowned German photographer and journalist famous for his iconic photos about the war in Vietnam, has passed 𒐪away at the age of 88.
Photographer Thomas Billhardt was born in 1937 in Chemnitz, Germany. He was recognised as one of the most prominent documentary photographers of the German Democratic Republic era. His photographs played a significant role in showcasing the horrors of the war in Vietnam (1965-1975) to the world.
Billhardt first came to Vietnam in 1967. The photographer witnessed the brutal realities of war through bomb craters, ruined buildings, and the constant sound of air raid sirens. At that time, Hanoi was enduring heavy bombing raids from US planes during the first phase of the bombing campaign in North Vietnam.
Thomas Billhardt is particularly renowned for his iconic photos taken in Vietnam. Notable among his works are four famous photo books: “Pilots in Pajamas” (1968), “Aspirations for Peace: Vietnam” (1973), “Hanoi - The Days before Peace” (1973) and “Faces of Vietnam” (1978). In 2020, he published “Hanoi 1967-1975” and held an exhibition of the same name in Hanoi. His powerful images of the Vietnam War have been showcased in Germany, Sweden, and Russia, establishing Billhardt as a globally recognised photographer.
After the war ended, Thomas returned to Vietnam several times to reconnect with the country he cherished. He sought out the individuals featured in his photos to learn how they had lived during the years of peace.
In 2020, following his “Hanoi 1967-1975” exhibition and the release of the photo book, Thomas Billhardt was honoured with the “Bui Xuan Phai - For the Love of Hanoi” award by the Vietnam News Agency’s The thao & Van hoa newspaper./.
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