Events

There are no upcoming events.

There are no upcoming events.

Zurück zur Übersicht

Folgen Sie uns auf Instagram

𝘜𝘯𝘤𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘏𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘺: 𝘈 𝘋𝘰𝘤𝘶𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘺 𝘙𝘰𝘰𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘪𝘯 𝘞𝘢𝘳 & 𝘙𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘮𝘣𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦 🎥

John Heinsen’s documentary is built around two rare photographs his grandfather took during WWI—one capturing British POWs and the other, the first American POWs captured by Germany.

These images unlock forgotten stories from the 𝘉𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘭𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘊𝘢𝘮𝘣𝘳𝘢𝘪, a pivotal moment in history.

Between 2015 and 2018, Heinsen traveled to France 12 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦𝘴 to match his grandfather’s aerial photos with modern landscapes—encountering live ordnance, human remains, and remarkable personal connections along the way.

At the 𝘉𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘭𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘊𝘢𝘮𝘣𝘳𝘢𝘪 𝘤𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘯𝘪𝘢𝘭 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘦𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯, Heinsen shared the German perspective, offering a powerful moment of reconciliation.

One woman, whose grandfather survived the battle, found healing through his work.

Listen to the full episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Podimo, and SoundCloud. 🎧

𝘙𝘦𝘪𝘯𝘷𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘪𝘯 𝘞𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦: 𝘈 𝘎𝘦𝘳𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘐𝘮𝘮𝘪𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘵’𝘴 𝘚𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘺 📷🐰

During World War II, German immigrant Walter Heinsen faced intense anti-German sentiment in Chicago. To adapt, he renamed his photography business from 𝘏𝘦𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘦𝘯 𝘚𝘵𝘶𝘥𝘪𝘰 𝘵𝘰 𝘉𝘶𝘯𝘯𝘺 𝘎𝘳𝘢𝘱𝘩 𝘚𝘵𝘶𝘥𝘪𝘰, inspired by his innovative 𝘉𝘶𝘯𝘯𝘺 𝘎𝘳𝘢𝘱𝘩 𝘊𝘢𝘮𝘦𝘳𝘢— a clever tool featuring a giant rabbit over the lens to capture children’s attention.

Despite the challenges of wartime and the Great Depression, his creativity and resilience allowed his business to thrive. His studio even employed a Japanese-American photographer, Ken, navigating a period of heightened suspicion and scrutiny.

Listen to the full episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Podimo, and SoundCloud. 🎧

𝘈 𝘗𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘘𝘶𝘦

𝘈 𝘗𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘘𝘶𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘏𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘺 & 𝘊𝘰𝘯𝘯𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯

Filmmaker John Heinsen reflects on his deep personal motivation to uncover his grandfather Walter Heinsen’s World War I story.

Unlike decorated soldiers, Walter was a 17-year-old private who despised the war. Yet, through his photographs and memories, he captured a raw, emotional perspective of history.

For John, this journey became more than research — it was about honoring his grandfather’s legacy and finding peace by bringing his untold stories to light.

Listen to the full episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Podimo, and SoundCloud. 🎧

𝘙𝘦𝘥𝘪𝘴𝘤𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘏𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘺 𝘛𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘓𝘦𝘯𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘢 𝘞𝘞𝘐 𝘗𝘩𝘰𝘵𝘰𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘱𝘩𝘦𝘳

Filmmaker John Heinsen shares the incredible journey of uncovering his grandfather Walter Heinsen’s World War I photographs, captured with large-format glass plates of museum-quality clarity.

In the French town of Le Cateau, John identified a parade scene from one of Walter’s photos. With help from the local museum — now the National Museum for Matisse — and the mayor, the town’s history came alive.

Villagers, including the archbishop, were stunned to learn from the photos that Kaiser Wilhelm II had visited during the Battle of Cambrai, the first tank battle in history.

Walter’s photos also documented captured British tanks and battlefield scenes, offering historians precise dating and a vivid window into November 1917.

Explore this remarkable story on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Podimo, and SoundCloud. 🎙️

A Filmmaker’s Quest: Unveiling a Grandfather’s

A Filmmaker’s Quest: Unveiling a Grandfather’s World War I Legacy 🎥 🌍

Fueled by a passion for history and his grandfather’s stories, filmmaker John Heinsen embarked on a journey to connect Walter Heinsen’s World War I photographs to their modern-day locations.

Inspired by the centennial anniversary of the war, John explored France, Belgium, and Luxembourg, uncovering incredible details along the way.

One pivotal moment occurred in Le Cateau, France, where a building in the town square matched one of Walter’s 1917 photos.

This discovery opened new doors into understanding his grandfather’s experiences during the war.

Join the journey of personal history and global context on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Podimo, and SoundCloud. 🎙️

𝘍𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘏𝘢𝘮𝘣𝘶𝘳𝘨 𝘵

𝘍𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘏𝘢𝘮𝘣𝘶𝘳𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘙𝘰𝘨𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘗𝘢𝘳𝘬: 𝘈 𝘎𝘦𝘳𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘐𝘮𝘮𝘪𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘵’𝘴 𝘕𝘦𝘸 𝘉𝘦𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘯 𝘊𝘩𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘨𝘰 🌍

After arriving in America aboard the Taringa, Walter Heinsen made his way to Chicago, following in the footsteps of his sister who had settled in South Dakota. In Rogers Park, Walter began as an apprentice at a local photography studio, eventually saving enough to buy the studio — and the building it was in!

Rooted in Chicago’s strong German community, Walter built a multi-generational home with his wife, merging family life and photography under one roof.

Discover how Walter’s journey shaped his legacy on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Podimo, and SoundCloud. 🎙️

From the Western Front to a New Life in America ✈️🌍

John Heinsen recounts his grandfather Walter’s incredible journey: stationed in France and Belgium during WWI, Walter documented history through his lens, capturing figures like the Red Baron and Kaiser Wilhelm II. 📸

These aerodromes, now featured in WWI video games, still mirror the scenes Walter photographed a century ago. After the war, he pursued art school in Bremen and Hamburg, but political turmoil forced a life-changing decision.

Following the tragic murder of his roommate, Walter left Germany for the United States in April 1923, beginning a new chapter.

Hear this remarkable story on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Podimo, and SoundCloud. 🎙️From the Western Front to a New Life in America ✈️🌍

John Heinsen recounts his grandfather Walter’s incredible journey: stationed in France and Belgium during WWI, Walter documented history through his lens, capturing figures like the Red Baron and Kaiser Wilhelm II. 📸

These aerodromes, now featured in WWI video games, still mirror the scenes Walter photographed a century ago. After the war, he pursued art school in Bremen and Hamburg, but political turmoil forced a life-changing decision.

Following the tragic murder of his roommate, Walter left Germany for the United States in April 1923, beginning a new chapter.

Hear this remarkable story on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Podimo, and SoundCloud. 🎙️

John Heinsen shares the incredible story of his gr

John Heinsen shares the incredible story of his grandfather, Walter Heinsen, who grew up in Pattensen, Germany, surrounded by forests, animals, and a “Tom Sawyer-like” sense of adventure.

By 16, Walter was drafted into the German army during WWI, applying his photography apprenticeship as an aerial observer.

Flying in biplanes, he captured enemy trenches to guide artillery — an extraordinary yet perilous role in history.

Listen to this captivating tale of resilience and bravery on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Podimo, and SoundCloud. 🎙️

Amerikazentrum Hamburg

Wir freuen uns auf Sie:
info@amerikazentrum.org
oder rufen Sie uns an 040 – 7038 3688

Spenden und Helfen

Unterstützen Sie jetzt unseren Verein.
Jede Spende ist willkommen.
Jetzt direkt per PayPal spenden!

Unseren Newsletter abonnieren

© Amerikazentrum Hamburg

© Amerikazentrum Hamburg