Admirals of the Red

The homeless shelter in Ettersburger Street is on the edge of Weimar.
Managed and maintained by employees of Caritas and the Diakonie, it is the last hope for many people, such as those who have been foreclosed upon or the true homeless. Rooms are prepared for those who have been alcoholics for too long and cannot stay dry, where they can live and find support. Very few have contact to their relatives; a permanent melancholy hangs in the air. They often tell stories about their history, how they lived and worked. After German reunification, most of them had breakdowns, started drinking and ended up on the street. All of them came to the shelter with nothing but the shirts on their backs. Furniture, such as tables, chair and beds as well as clothing and bedsheets are provided. Every week they get a little money to buy food and drinks. Many of them prefer not to leave; some of them do occasionally go into the city for a walk. All of them go to the kiosk around the corner in order to buy alcohol and cigarettes. Usually they trade off and bring something for the others.  Thus they share each others’ burdens and still remain bound in their personal thoughts.

Photographs taken in Weimar, Germany 2006