Pervitin
Power, intoxication, and control – this dangerous connection runs through history and is still highly relevant today. In my work, I examine the influence of drugs on power structures, especially the use of Pervitin (today known as Crystal Meth) during the Nazi era. This methamphetamine was a driving force behind the Blitzkrieg, pushing soldiers to inhuman endurance and blurring moral boundaries. Even Hitler believed that important decisions should be made in moments of extreme excitement or hysteria – an idea that shows the destructive dynamic between drugs and power, as well as the moral inconsistency within such systems.
To reflect this theme artistically, I deliberately chose the 250-year-old technique of lithography. Its physical and manual nature stands in contrast to the digital world and gives the works a depth and authenticity that is reinforced by the material itself – images etched in stone. The weight of history is literally reflected in the weight of the medium.
At the same time, I have taken digital photographs of historical locations that are central to this theme. The Wolf’s Lair, the bunkers in Normandy, and the Sachsenhausen concentration camp are silent witnesses of the past – places that carry the horror and consequences of an intoxicated pursuit of power. Their presence in my work is not only documentation but also a warning.
By combining traditional printmaking with contemporary photography, I question the mechanisms of manipulation and excess while drawing a connection to current and future societal developments. The question remains: What role does intoxication – through substances or ideologies – play in power structures today and in the future?
