Polish-born photographer, Helga Paris, is one of Germany’s foremost chroniclers of a time past: the divisive splitting of Germany into states. The East, otherwise known as the German Democratic Republic (GDR), was formed four years after the close of the Second World War. Germany’s partitioning into separate states reflected the claims made by the victorious Allied forces in 1945. On one side, the US, France and Britain; and on the other, the Soviet Union. After the defeat of fascist Germany, each side went their separate ways.

Helga Paris’ work is politically and emotional significant because back then, making an artistic statement, no matter how subtle, was a risk. Post-war East Germany was mired in communist regime and a stifling of free expression — free Europe was situated at its western border, and represented the Western ideals of democracy and tolerance. The most clearly definable characteristics of Eastern European states were planned economies, no rule of law, no freedom of the press, and no freedom of movement.

A key chronicler of life in East Germany, Paris’ images of pub goers, sanitation and factory workers, artists, punks, and intellectuals serve as poetic and historic documents of Post-war Germany. Moving to the Prenzlauer Berg district in Berlin in 1966, she began capturing the local neighbourhood in the 70s. Her visual motif was realised in the photographing of flats, pubs, factory halls, break rooms, train stations, and on the streets.

More recently, Helga Paris’ enigmatic series called Leipzig Hauptbahnhof 1981/82 was published with Spector Books early this year. Described as the ‘endless waiting room’, this publication tells the transient tale of Leipzig central station in the 1970s. Time seems to stand still on each page, with a total of 80 black and white pictures of the station. The link between photography and stations is the visual of waiting, and meaning is often nuanced.