Police Photography – In Front of and Behind the Cordon

8 November 2026 to 27 June 2027 · Mannheim

Around 120 mostly unpublished photographs from the archives of Baden-Württemberg’s state police reveal the realities of police work, forensic investigation and the people behind the uniforms.

At a glance

• Venue: ZEPHYR – Raum für Fotografie, Reiss-Engelhorn-Museen, C4, 12, 68159 Mannheim
• Opening hours: Tuesday to Sunday 10:00–17:00; closed on Mondays
• Special closure dates: 24, 25 and 31 December 2026, and 1, 6, 17 and 27 May 2027
• Admission: Adults 9 €, concessions 7 €, ages 6–18: 5 €, apprentices/students/voluntary social year participants 7 €

About the exhibition

What happens in front of the cordon, and what happens behind it? In cooperation with Baden-Württemberg’s Ministry of the Interior, the Reiss-Engelhorn-Museen present around 120 photographs from the state police archives. The exhibition moves from crime scenes, accidents and vehicle checks to quiet, interpersonal and occasionally unusual moments in everyday policing.

The focus is on images from the 2010s onwards. Many were taken by police officers themselves and originally intended for documentation, evidence gathering or internal review. In the museum, they can also be read as images that shape our perception of the police, the public and states of emergency.

AVS tip: particularly relevant to documentary photography, street photography and the question of how images shape authority and reality.

Official information: Reiss-Engelhorn-Museen Mannheim

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