A Female Photographer at Work Over the Roofs of Berlin, ca. 1910

Women in journalistic professions were a rarity in Wilhelmine Germany. Nonetheless, some women did succeed in establishing themselves as journalists – initially, they did so by working for the women’s newspapers and magazines that had been around since the middle of the nineteenth century; later on, they also worked for large newspapers.

In this photograph from 1910, a female photographer surveys metropolitan Berlin from a crane being used in the construction of the Stadthaus (City Hall) on Molkenmarkt. The City Hall was built as an extension of the Rotes Rathaus (Red City Hall), whose large tower can be seen at the right. The Berliner Dom (Berlin Cathedral) can be seen in the background off to the left.

During World War II, the allied bombing campaigns and fierce fighting during the Battle of Berlin heavily damaged all three structures, but they have since been restored.