Cold, rain and steep, muddy paths do little to stop them. Every Holy Week, thousands of pilgrims gather in Kalwaria Zebrzydowska, Poland, to follow the centuries-old Passion of Christ through the hills towards Golgotha.What stayed with me was not the spectacle, but the people: walking, waiting and praying, deeply absorbed in their faith. I followed the procession closely, documenting the faces, gestures and quiet moments along the way.(A black-and-white documentary reportage photographed on Hasselblad 6×6 and Nikon D3.)

The Passion – Walking in Faith

The Passion in Kalwaria Zebrzydowska | Documentary Photography – Simone M. Neumann

Nestled in a picturesque Swiss village, the historic Oeschberg Servants’ Home offers a unique and meaningful way of living in old age. Set within a beautifully preserved farmhouse, this retirement home has its roots in the 19th century, when it was founded as a refuge for loyal maids and farmworkers “without fault or reproach.” These days itserves as a retirement home for former farmworkers and nature lovers. Here, residents can maintain their daily routines—if they choose: getting up at 5am to milk the cows, working in the fields, or helping out in the kitchen. Everyone is welcome to pitch in and contribute—for the good of the community, as the historic farmstead is designed for self-sufficiency. This photo documentary captures intimate moments of aging, dignity, work and belonging.

"Without Fault or Reproach"

This photo documentary captures intimate moments of aging, dignity, work, and belonging — revealing a rare glimpse into rural life in Switzerland and the beauty of growing old within a living community.

"The 27th of January will be a very special day. On this date we will commemorate the liberation of German Nazi concentration and extermination camp Auschwitz-Birkenau. The memory of the whole world will focus on the tragedy of the Shoah and the cruel system of terror created by Germans in occupied Europe. " (Auschwitz-Birkenau.org)

Auschwitz: “Those who do not remember the past are condemned to repeat it.”

Auschwitz documentary photography, Holocaust remembrance, liberation of Auschwitz, visual history, World War II photography, memory culture, documentary photojournalism, historical photography Europe.

Travelling gets interesting when you stop looking only at where you are—and start wondering how people live there.From salt workers in Malta and Carnival on Gozo to Livonian villages, life in Israel, landscapes and moments of remembrance: these photographs grew out of places I wanted to understand a little better. A personal collection of travel, documentary and reportage photography from Europe and beyond.

Travel - Places & People

Travel & Documentary Photography | Simone M. Neumann, Berlin

Every year, they return. And every year, there are fewer of them.More than 200,000 people from many countries were imprisoned at KZ Sachsenhausen and its satellite camps between 1936 and 1945. They included political prisoners, Jews, Sinti and Roma, Jehovah’s Witnesses, people persecuted as homosexuals, and many others persecuted by the Nazi regime. Around 20,000 of those imprisoned were women.Before Sachsenhausen was liberated in April 1945, more than 30,000 prisoners were forced onto death marches.I photographed the commemoration as an observer. Beyond the official ceremony, I listened to survivors, their families and the personal stories they shared.(Black-and-white photo essay, shot on medium-format Hasselblad 6×6 film.)

Remembrance I – The Voices That Remain

Black-and-white documentary photo essay by Simone M. Neumann on survivors, remembrance and the liberation of Sachsenhausen concentration camp in April 1945.

By day, it is one of Lithuania’s most important pilgrimage sites. After dark, it becomes something else entirely.The Hill of Crosses near Šiauliai grew from a place of remembrance and pilgrimage into a symbol of Lithuanian faith and resistance. Its origins reach back to the 19th century. During the Soviet occupation, the authorities repeatedly tried to destroy the site.They removed the crosses. People kept bringing them back.What began as an act of faith became a quiet but persistent symbol of resistance to Soviet rule and of Lithuanian identity. Today, Kryžių kalnas is once again an important pilgrimage site, visited by pilgrims, families, newlyweds and travellers—many leaving a cross of their own.Then darkness falls. The visitors disappear. The hill becomes quiet.Thousands of crosses, complete silence and barely enough light to see where I was going. Just me, my camera—and eventually a small torch between my teeth.So I started photographing.

Lithuania: The Hill of Crosses

Documentary photography from Lithuania’s Hill of Crosses near Šiauliai—Kryžių kalnas, a pilgrimage site and symbol of faith, resistance and Lithuanian identity.

Hill of Crosses Lithuania | Documentary Photography – Simone M. Neumann

Away from the floats and Carnival crowds, an old tradition continues in Xagħra.Dressed in traditional costumes and accompanied by music, local dancers perform Il-Kummittiva, moving through a series of figures. In pairs, they weave colourful ribbons around il-bixkilla, a traditional Maltese maypole. Music, movement and a tradition that has been passed from one generation to the next.A small photo essay from Carnival on Gozo, Malta.

Il-Kummittiva – Keeping the Dance Alive

Traditional Carnival in Xagħra, Gozo – Documentary Photography

Some stories happen in a moment. Others unfold over years. Dokumentarische Fotografie zu Gesellschaft, Zeitgeschichte und Erinnerung – Reportagen und Langzeitprojekte aus Deutschland und international.

Documentary – Stories That Stay

Documentary

Dokumentarfotografie aus Berlin zu Gesellschaft, Zeitgeschichte und Erinnerung – persönliche Reportagen und Langzeitprojekte über Menschen und Orte.

Documentary Photography | Society & Contemporary History – Simone M. Neumann

Documentary – Stories That Stay