Photographic Insights into Women’s Work and Beauty in the Late GDR

The photo exhibition “Women – Beauty – Layer” by Barbara Köppe is dedicated to women who worked in a cosmetics combine in the GDR during the years 1988 and 1989. It focuses on the world of work, women's living realities, and social everyday life in the late GDR.

Barbara Köppe's photographic gaze turns to the people behind the processes of a cosmetics combine. The exhibition invites viewers to consider the connection between beauty, work, and social environment. The title alludes to multiple levels: the engagement with cosmetics, the daily work commitment, and the different layers of life that can be made visible in the images.

Photographic Insights into the Late GDR

The photographs were taken in 1988–89, a phase that is immediately prior to the end of the GDR. They document women at work in a state cosmetics combine and provide a concentrated access to a specific segment of East German history. This is not only about products or external beauty, but also about working conditions, role models, and the everyday lives of the portrayed women.

The exhibition at URANIA Potsdam is aimed at anyone interested in photography, GDR history, and social issues. It provides an opportunity to reflect on the significance of work and beauty in different times and to perceive photographic documentation as a historical source.

Visit in Potsdam

“Women – Beauty – Layer” is on display at URANIA Potsdam until December 2, 2026. The specified date of November 30, 2026, is just before the end of the presentation. Those wishing to visit the exhibition should check current information regarding opening times, admission, and exact local details directly with URANIA Potsdam.

The exhibition connects personal insights with a contemporary historical theme and makes visible how a specific field of work and the women involved can be captured photographically. This creates an impressive impetus for engagement with the past, work, and societal notions of beauty.