Award-winning photography reveals secret traumas of men in Bosnia

Award-winning photography reveals secret traumas of men in Bosnia

The latest news from Brandenburg's art scene brings interesting discoveries to light. The Lotto Art Prize for Photography was awarded on June 16, 2025. The main prize went to Hannes Jung from Bremen for his haunting series “Men Don’t Cry”. These powerful photographs illuminate the hidden traumas of men who suffered sexual violence during the Bosnian War in the 1990s. According to Meetingpoint Potsdam, the jury describes the works as “sensitizing and touching”. In addition to silence and powerlessness, they also address everyday struggles for survival and the longing for a voice.

Hannes Jung, born in 1986, enjoyed his artistic training in Munich, Valencia and Hanover. He has been working as a freelance documentary photographer since 2009 and now lives in Berlin. Selecting the winners was not easy: a total of 156 artists from Berlin and Brandenburg applied for the coveted photography prizes by March. In addition to Jung, two sponsorship prizes of 5,000 euros each were awarded. Daniela Friebel received a prize for her work “EVENTS, 2024”, while Arwed Messmer was honored for “DEEP TROUBLE”, which shows photos from East Berlin in the 1950s.

Art and trauma in focus

The prize winners' works are on display in the Kunstraum Potsdam on Schiffbauergasse until June 22, 2025. This exhibition makes it clear how art serves as a medium to talk about trauma and make it visible. However, this should not only be viewed in the context of price. The Bosnian War in the 1990s is a warning example of the enormous, devastating effects of sexual violence in war. According to taz, from 1992 to 1995, over 20,000 women were raped in Bosnia and Herzegovina while ethnic cleansing took place.

Rape was deliberately used as a weapon in this terrible conflict to create ethnically pure populations. More than 90 percent of the women who passionately suffered this violence were Muslim, while most of the perpetrators were Orthodox Christians. Such acts cannot only be measured in numbers; They carry an immeasurable burden of psychological and physical scars that remain with many survivors to this day.

Insight into the challenges faced by survivors

The socioeconomic situation of these survivors is often catastrophic. Many live in poverty, and the after-effects of violence are often reflected in chronic mental illness. It is a responsibility of society as a whole to provide assistance to those affected - be it through psychosocial support or medical care. The connection between these traumatic events and the need to talk about how they continue to impact society today is hugely important. As bpb highlights, unprocessed trauma has transgenerational effects and affects not only the survivors themselves, but also their families.

At a time when the recognition of sexual violence in conflicts is becoming increasingly popular, it is important to also include men in this discourse. Hannes Jung's exhibition can make a small but significant contribution to telling the complex and often invisible stories of men who have suffered from this violence and continue to do so today. Art in particular opens doors to conversations about topics that often remain obscure.