The German Autobahn (2018)

13,000 kilometers of asphalt and concrete - Germany's largest construction project is polarizing, the backbone of the economy and an adventure playground in equal measure. Although it makes up less than 2% of our roads, the autobahn accounts for a third of all vehicle kilometers and takes a huge burden off our everyday lives. Everyone talks about it, but there has never been an illustrated book about it. In 2010, a grant from the Bundesstiftung BildKunst made it possible to start a long-term project about this myth-laden German “cultural landscape”. Over a period of ten years (between various overseas trips), I covered over 30,000 kilometers with a VW T5 camper and a four-wheel drive pickup camper, including 70 overnight stays at rest stops. I had to interrupt the project in 2018 due to a serious illness. It wasn't until 2020, after a partial recovery, that I resumed work on the final motifs and the text. In addition to documenting the myth-laden history and the most spectacular sections of the route, the aim was also to take a look at the dangerous everyday life of those who keep this “cultural landscape” of the freeway functioning for all of us. A snapshot in time. The illustrated book was published in 2021 by the renowned publishing house Frederking & Thaler.