Peter Leibing

The Profile

German photographer from Hamburg, known for his 1961 photograph of Hans Konrad Schumann leaping over barbed wire at the Berlin border. Originally assigned to racetracks, Leibing captured a decisive moment that became an icon of the Cold War.

Leibing's 1961 photograph of Hans Konrad Schumann became an emblematic image of the Berlin Wall era and won the Best Overseas Press Club Award for Photography in 1961. The review recounts that Hans Konrad Schumann emigrated to West Germany and died by suicide in 1998.

The review focuses on Peter Leibing's iconic 1961 photograph of Hans Konrad Schumann leaping over barbed wire at the Berlin border. Leibing, a Hamburg photographer who often covered racetracks, captured the decisive moment that became a symbol of freedom. The image won recognition (Best Overseas Press Club Award for Photography, 1961). The review closes with the later, tragic fate of Schumann, who died in 1998.