According to the state ideology, in the DDR workers had to be portrayed as proud, self-confident heroes. After all, they were the ones who laid the foundation for the new communist society. Gundula Schulze Eldowy wanted to nuance this image. She photographed workers in situations where they were really performing work. In practice, this often meant having to carry out labour in the midst of dust and dirt, with insufficient light. Uncomfortable positions, sometimes alongside heavy machinery, were by no means an exception. Despite the often brutal working conditions, the workers appear unbroken. Their exhausted appearance reveals a resolve to maintain human dignity.

Gundula Schulze Eldowy (b. DDR, 1954) studied photography at the Hochschule für Graphik und Buchkunst Leipzig from 1979-1984. She has done photo reportage in over thirty countries. In addition to travelling and photographing she is also active as a poet and singer. She also creates video films and audio collages.