Christian Rothe, Visuelle Kommunikation (Visual Communication) Alumni, Awarded »Preis der Stiftung Buchkunst 2025« for »Buchenwald« Publication
The »Preis der Stiftung Buchkunst«, which comes with a 10,000-euro prize, has been awarded to Christian Rothe for his book »Buchenwald – Im Dickicht vom Ettersberg«. We are delighted that our graduate has achieved yet another success and offer him our warmest congratulations. In 2015, Christian Rothe was honoured in the prestigious competition for final project »Weil er er war, weil ich ich war« in the category of most beautiful German books.
The award was presented on Friday, 5 September 2025 at the Museum für Angewandte Kunst in Frankfurt am Main by Birte Kreft, Director of the Stiftung Buchkunst, and Dr. Joachim Unseld, publisher at the Frankfurter Verlagsanstalt and Managing Director of the Stiftung Buchkunst. A five-member jury chose to award the book from the 25 »Schönsten Deutschen Büchern« (most beautiful German books), which had been selected in June from nearly 600 submissions.
»A book full of power and dignity that impresses with its haunting, respectful, and courageous approach to a terrible subject«, was how the jury's assessed the moving photo book »Buchenwald«. For seven years, photographer Christian Rothe roamed the extensive grounds of the former concentration camp and, using an analogue large-format camera, captured what only reveals itself in detail through intense examination. Barely recognisable foundations, impenetrable thickets, faint traces of stairs, and rotted train tracks – looking at it, the silence acts almost as a warning.
The immersion into such a sensitive topic, which is made surprisingly accessible by the sensitive book design, is already achieved by the gauze-bound, minimalistic cover. The embossed word »Buchenwald«, at the centre makes a strong statement, while the noticeable texture lends a three-dimensional quality to the shadows of the trees.
This encourages the reader to approach the content with respect and allow themselves to be immersed in the atmospheric photographs, whose depth impresses on high-quality, uncoated paper and frequency-modulated screening. The images are accompanied by literary excerpts from well-known novels by former concentration camp prisoners, the book creates an experience that offers distance yet is emotionally gripping.
The text passages, carefully interspersed between longer series of images, act as a pause in the moving search for traces left behind. As a result of the harmonious interplay of design, choice of materials, printing, and binding, the book is a dedicated, resonating work.
»Buchenwald. Im Dickicht vom Ettersberg«
Publishing house: Hartmann Books, Stuttgart
Format: 21,5 x 33 cm
Volume: 240 Pages
Edition: 800
Price: 38 Euros
ISBN: 978-3-96070-125-5
Binding: Hardcover with gauze overlay
Cover material: Hinge cloth 831/001 GP 2 R (bookbinding gauze) laminated onto 1 mm greyboard
Paper: 100g/qm Kamiko Fly Suna
Typeface: Stanley, Regular, Italic, (Optimo /Ludovic Balland)
Typesetting: InDesign, Mac
Printing method: Offset
Translation: English – Kurt Beals, Catherine Hales, Allison Moseley, Tas Skorupa
Typesetting: Copa-Ipa / Christian Rothe
Image reproduction / editing: Carsten Humme
Photographs: Christian Rothe
Design / typography: Copa-Ipa / Christian Rothe
Cover design: Copa-Ipa / Christian Rothe
Production: Hartmann Books / Markus Hartmann
Printing: DZA Druckerei zu Altenburg GmbH, Altenburg
Bookbinding: DZA Druckerei zu Altenburg GmbH, Altenburg
» christianrothe.com