Born a Fisherman

• Photographer
  Iwona Knorr, Germany
• Studio
  Iwona Knorr Fotografie

„Born a Fisherman“ was a long-term project, that turned out to be a late hymn on
traditional values. When I approached the fishermen at the German Coast of the Baltic Sea
in 2009, I had no idea what I was going to do with the pictures I took of them. However,
over the years I came again and again and recognised that a strong connection to nature is
giving a framework for personal happiness. It seemed to me that values cultivated over
generations were a source for inner strength and peace that saved the fishermen from the
consumer culture. Meanwhile, only a few fishermen remain at this point, struggling with
strong controls over their catches. Most of them gave up their livelihood and paying a
heavy price for losing connection to their roots.