Erich Lessing

Erich Lessing (13 July 1923 – 29 August 2018) was an Austrian photographer. Lessing became a full member of Magnum Photos in 1955 and was a contributor since 1979. His portraits of poets, musicians, physicists and astronomers were published in around 60 books.

Career Lessing was born in Vienna into a Jewish family, the son of a dentist and a concert pianist. Before completing high school, he was forced to leave Austria in 1939 because of Hitler's rise to power. He immigrated to the British Mandate for Palestine (now Israel). His mother remained in Vienna and later was murdered at Auschwitz. While in Israel, Lessing studied radio engineering at the Technion and then worked agricultural jobs on kibbutzim. He then joined the British Army as a photographer and aviator. Fortune,

In 2013 he donated 60,000 images to the archives of the Austrian National Library.

Publications Szene (Scene). Vienna, Austria: :de:Österreichische Staatsdruckerei, 1954. Imago Austriae Imago Austriae. Freiburg im Breisgau, Austria: Herder, 1963. Edited by Otto Schulmeister, Johann Christoph Allmeyer-Beck and Lessing. Freiburg im Breisgau. Austria: Herder, 1967. 1964 Die Wiener Schatzkammer, Hallwag, Switzerland The Voyages of Ulysses 1965 Die Odyssee. Herder, Deutschland 1966 The Voyages of Ulysses. MacMillan, United Kingdom The Adventures of Ulysses: Homer's Epic in Pictures. New York: Dodd Mead, 1970. . 1970 Las Aventuras de Ulises. Herder, Spain 1970 De Avonturen van Odysseus. Becht, The Netherlands 1966 De Odyssee, Becht. The Netherlands 1969 Die Abenteuer des Odysseus. Herder, Deutschland 1969 Odysséen. Allhems Förlag, Sweden. 1966 Römisches Erinnerungsbuch (Roman memoirs). Herder, Germany 1967 Entdecker des Weltraums (Explorers of outer space). Herder, Germany The Story of Noah 1968 Die Arche Noah. Molden, Austria 1968 The Story of Noah. Time Life, USA 1968 Het Verhall van Noach. Elsevier, The Netherlands 1968 Berättelsen om Noa. Norstedt & Söners Förlag, Schweden Rome Remembered 1969 Reminiscenze Romane. Edizioni Paoline, Italy 1969 Rome Remembered. Burns & Oates, United Kingdom / Herder & Herder, USA 1969 Discoverers of Space. Burns & Oates, United Kingdom / Herder & Herder, USA The Bible. 1969 Die Bibel. Die Geschichte Israels und seines Glaubens, Herder, Germany 1969 Verité et Poésie de la Bible (Poetry and Truth of the Bible). Hatier, France 1969 Verità e poesia della Bibbia. Edizioni Paoline, Italy The Bible: History and Culture of a People. A Pictorial narration. Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany: Herder and Herder, 1970. . 1969 Deutsche Reise (German Travel). Ein Erinnerungsbuch, Herder, Germany 1969 Die Wiener Oper (The Vienna Opera). Molden, Austria 1970 Musik in Wien. Molden, Austria 1971 Ravenna. Steine reden, Herder, Germany 1971 Der Mann aus Galiläa (The Man of Galilee). Herder, Germany Jesus. History & Culture Of The New Testament 1971 Jesus. History & Culture Of The New Testament. Herder & Herder, USA 1971 De man van Nazareth. Becht, The Netherlands The Spanish Riding School of Vienna 1972 Die Spanische Hofreitschule zu Wien. Molden, Austria 1972 The Spanish Riding School of Vienna. Molden, Austria 1972 La Haute Ecole Espagnole de Vienne. Albin Michel, France 1972 De Spaanse rijschool in Wenen. C.A.J. van Dishoeck, Belgium 1973 Traumstraßen durch Deutschland (Dream Roads Germany). Molden, Austria 1974 Die K & K Armee (The K & K army). Bertelsmann, Germany. 1975 Das Schönste aus der Spanischen Hofreitschule (The best of the Spanish Riding School). Molden, Austria 1975 L’Opéra de Paris, Hatier, France Deutsche Ritter, Deutsche Burgen. By Lessing and Werner Meyer. Germany: Bertelsmann, 1976. 1999. . 1976 Gott sprach zu Abraham (God said to Abraham). Herder, Germany. 1976 Le Message de l‘Espérance (The Message of Hope). Hatier, France. 1977 Die Griechischen Sagen (The Greek Legends), Bertelsmann, Germany On The Roads of France 1978 Traumstraße Donau (Dream Roads Danube). Molden, Austria. 1978 Traumstraßen durch Frankreich (Dream Roads France), Molden, Austria 1978 Sur Les Routes de France (On The Roads of France), Arthaud, France 1978 Die kaiserlichen Kriegsvölker (The Imperial War Peoples), Bertelsmann, Germany The Celts 1978 Les Celts, Hatier, France 1979 Die Kelten, Herder, Germany 1979 De Kelten, Standaard Uitgeverij, The Netherlands 1979 Ludwig van Beethoven, Herder, Germany 1980 Deutsche Schlösser, Deutsche Fürsten, Bertelsmann, Germany The Travels of Saint Paul 1980 Paulus, Herder, Germany 1982 Paulus - Der Völkerapostel, Herder, Germany 1980 Les voyages de Saint Paul, Hatier, France 1980 Saint Paul, Becht, The Netherlands 1980 The Travels of Saint Paul, Herder & Herder, USA 1980 Hallstatt. Bilder aus der Frühzeit Europas, Jugend & Volk, Austria 1980 Hausbibel, Herder, Germany 1980 Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Herder, Germany 1981 Joseph Haydn, Herder, Germany Das Heer unter dem Doppeladler (The army under the double-headed eagle). Germany: Bertelsmann, 1981. 1982 Die Donau, Ringier, Germany 1983 Das Wiener Rathaus, Jugend & Volk, Austria The Italian Renaissance 1983 Die Italienische Renaissance, Bertelsmann, Germany 1985 La Renaissance Italienne, Hatier, France 1985 Die Niederlande, Bertelsmann, Germany 1987 Die Bibel. Das Alte Testament in Bildern erzählt von Erich Lessing (The Bible. The Old Testament narrative in pictures), Bertelsmann, Germany 1987 Der Wiener Musikverein, J & V Edition Wien, Austria Greece 1987 La Grece, Payot, France 1988 Griechenland, Kohlhammer, Germany 1989 Die Geschichte Frankreichs (The History of France), Bertelsmann, Germany 1989 Edles Porzellan, Falken, Germany Immortal Egypt 1990 Geheimnisvolles Ägypten, Bechtermünz, Germany 1990 Immortelle Egypte, Nathan, France 1991 Les mythes grecs, Nathan, France Florence and the Renaissance 1992 Florence et la Renaissance, Terrail, France 1993 Florence and the Renaissance, Terrail, France 1993 Florenz und seine Kunst im 15. Jahrhundert, Terrail, France Glory of Venice 1993 La Gloire de Venise, Terrail, France 1994 Glory of Venice, Terrail, France 1994 Venedig, Glanz und Glorie, Terrail, France 1994 Karl Friedrich Schinkel: An Architecture for Prussia, Rizzoli International, USA Femmes mythologies 1994 Femmes mythologies, Imprimerie nationale, France Femmes mythologies. France: Imprimerie nationale, 1994. . 1994 Frauen-Mythologie, Metamorphosis, Germany Pomeii 1995 Pompéi, Terrail, France Pomeii Vilo International, 1996. . 2001 Pompeji, Komet, Germany 1998 Dieux de l'Egypte (Gods of Egypt), Imprimerie nationale, France 2000 Das Heilige Land: Landschaften, Archäologie, Religion, Orbis, Germany 2000 Dieu en ses Anges, Cerf, France 2000 Rückblende - Geschichten aus der Welt vor 1000 Jahren, Wieser, Austria Arresting Time: Erich Lessing, Reportage Photography, 1948-1973 2002 Vom Festhalten der Zeit - Reportage-Fotografie 1948-1973, Brandstätter, Austria 2003 Mémoire du Temps - Photographies de Reportage 1948-1973, Hazan, France Arresting Time: Erich Lessing, Reportage Photography, 1948-1973 by Alistair Crawford. USA: Quantuck Lane, 2005. . Louvre - The Arts Face to Face 2003 Au Louvre - Les Arts Face à Face, Hazan, France 2003 Louvre - The Arts Face to Face, Hazan, France 2003 Un Certain Louvre, Biro Éditeur, France From Liberation to Liberty 2005 Von der Befreiung zur Freiheit, Verlag der Metamorphosen, Austria 2005 From Liberation to Liberty, Verlag der Metamorphosen, Austria 1001 Paintings of the Louvre 2005 1001 peintures du Louvre: De l'Antiquité au XIXe siècle. 5 Continents Editions, Italy / Louvre, France 2006 1001 Gemälde des Louvre. 5 Continents Editions, Italy / Michael Imhof Verlag, Germany Revolution in Hungary, The 1956 Budapest Uprising Revolution in Hungary, The 1956 Budapest Uprising. Thames & Hudson, 2006. . 2006 Budapest 1956 - Die Ungarische Revolution, Brandstätter, Austria 2006 Budapest 1956 - la Révolution, Biro Éditeur, France 2006 Budapest 1956 - la rivoluzione, Marietti 1820, Italy 2006 Budapest 1956 - a forradalom, 1956-os Intézet, Hungary 2007 Naissance de la figure, Hazan, France 2008 Herbert von Karajan, Verlag der Metamorphosen, Austria / Böhlau, Austria Joseph Haydn - His Time Told in Pictures 2009 Joseph Haydn - His time told in pictures, Verlag der Metamorphosen, Austria 2009 Joseph Haydn und seine Zeit in Bildern, Verlag der Metamorphosen, Austria / Braumüller, Austria 2010 Menschenbilder aus der Dunkelkammer, Verlag Thomas Reche, Germany 2011 Václav Havel. Fünfzehn Stimmungen, Verlag Thomas Reche, Germany The Louvre - All the paintings 2011 The Louvre - All the paintings. Black Dog & Leventhal, USA 2011 Louvre - Tutti i dipinti, Electra, Italy 2012 Le Louvre - Toutes les peintures, Flammarion / Éditions du Louvre, France 2012 Louvre - Alle Gemälde, Dumont, Germany 2014 Anderswo, Nimbus. Kunst und Bücher, Switzerland 2014 Von der Befreiung zur Freiheit - Österreich nach 1945, Tyrolia, Austria 2015 Ungarn 1956, Tyrolia, Austria

Awards

1956: American Art Editors´ Award for his work during the Hungarian Revolution. 1966: Prix Nadar for his book The Voyages of Ulysses. 1970: Austrian Karl Renner prize for outstanding cultural achievements. 1976: Culture-Award of the city of Vienna. 1992: Vienna's silver medal for outstanding services to the city. 1992: Imre Nagy medal from the President of Hungary for his work during the Hungarian revolution. 1997: Golden Medal from the governor of Syria. 1997: Austrian State Prize for Photography 2013: Austrian Cross of Honor for Science and Art