Peter Leibing

German, 1941 - 2008

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This is a photograph of a soldier in midair leaping over barbed wire. The black-and-white image captures the soldier wearing a uniform, helmet, and boots as they leap with both legs tucked in. They are holding a long object, possibly a rifle, in one hand. The barbed wire in the foreground creates tension, while in the background, a blurred group of onlookers can be seen standing on a street lined with buildings.
Peter Leibing, Associated Press, Title from caption on object: “East German Soldier Jumped to Freedom”, August 15, 1961, gelatin silver print with applied color, Gift of Mary and Dan Solomon, 2018.177.432

Title from caption on object: “East German Soldier Jumped to Freedom”

Peter Leibing, Associated Press · August 15, 1961 · gelatin silver print with applied color ·  Accession ID  2018.177.432