Police Photography

What happens in front of the police cordon – and what happens behind it? What images emerge where public access ends and police operations begin? These questions are explored in the special exhibition “POLICE PHOTOGRAPHY – Before and Behind the Cordon,” organized by the Reiss-Engelhorn Museums in Mannheim in collaboration with the Ministry of the Interior, Digitalisation, and European Affairs of Baden-Württemberg. Featuring around 120 predominantly unpublished photographs from the archives of the Baden-Württemberg State Police, the exhibition provides a multifaceted view of everyday police work, revealing its many different aspects.

As a key visual medium, police photography fulfills a wide variety of functions: it is used to secure evidence, document crime scenes and police operations, support internal review and analysis, and communicate with the public, particularly via social media. The photographs encompass crime scenes, forensic investigations, traffic accidents, vehicle inspections, and instances of assistance in unusual circumstances. Originally created without any artistic intention, these images nevertheless possess a striking visual language and compelling expressive power. At the same time, they shape public perceptions of the police and the broad scope of their work.