- “[A] 30-year art project tracing how politics shaped Merkel.”
- “A subtly revealing 30-year chronicle of the effects of power on an individual who wields it.”
- “In Angela Merkel: Portraits 1991–2021, photographer Herlinde Koelbl gathers three decades’ worth of portraits of the German chancellor, tracing the extraordinary arc of her political career.”
- “A landmark study on the visible effects of power on a shy East German physicist who became the world’s most powerful woman.”
- “One of the most unusual relationships in modern politics.”
Herlinde Koelbl. Angela Merkel. Portraits 1991–2021
Hardcover, 11.8 x 11.8 in., 5.91 lb, 248 pages70Edition: English, German Availability: Currently not availableEnter your email address here and we will notify you when copies become available:
Also available as an Art Edition of 125 copies with a print, Angela Merkel 1994/2018, signed by Herlinde Koelbl.

Herlinde Koelbl. Angela Merkel. Portraits 1991–2021
70The Era of Angela Merkel
End of an epoch, end of an idea
What did she have to learn, how did she have to change in order to persist, indeed to survive politically? How did politics impact her private life? The renowned photo artist succeeded in capturing Merkel’s human side through other means apart from her camera lens. Usually extremely reserved, the politician answered Koelbl’s questions with such surprising openness and intimacy that, according to the Guardian, the two women share “one of the most unusual relationships in modern politics.” Herlinde Koelbl presents a documentary portrait in words and images, of a kind that does not exist for any other global leader. It travels through time, spanning the Angela Merkel epoch—from the first year to the last. It is the portrait of an extreme physical and psychological transformation, and the written record of a unique rapport.
Also available as an Art Edition of 125 copies (No. 1–125), with the print Angela Merkel, 1994/2018, signed by Herlinde Koelbl
The photographer and author
Herlinde Koelbl is one of the most renowned German photographic artists. Her comprehensive oeuvre is characterized above all by long-term photographic projects, often complemented by in-depth interviews and videos. Her photographs have been shown at numerous international exhibitions and are represented in many major collections. Herlinde Koelbl has published more than a dozen books of photography, including Fascination of Science (2021), Targets (2014), Traces of Power (1999)and Jewish Portraits (1989). She has been honored for her work multiple times, among others, with the Dr. Erich Salomon Award in 2001 and with the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany in 2009.
Herlinde Koelbl. Angela Merkel. Portraits 1991–2021
Hardcover, 30 x 30 cm, 2.68 kg, 248 pagesISBN 978-3-8365-8873-7
Edition: English, German5