Afghanistan

Land of multiple fronts / 2016-2021

Afghanistan's recent history has been marked by war and violence. Great powers have interfered in the country's destiny time and again. Soviet troops invaded in 1979, and the government they supported was later overthrown by the mujahideen, guerrilla groups backed by the US and Saudi Arabia. But the mujahideen's victory did not bring stability, and power-sharing failed because of their rivalries. The fundamentalist Islamic Taliban militia came to power and imposed Sharia law. After the terrorist attacks of 11 September 2001, the US overthrew the Taliban, who had previously sheltered members of terrorist organisations. The Afghan governments that followed were authoritarian.

Johanna-Maria Fritz travelled to Afghanistan for the first time in 2016 and has since returned several times. Her photographs from these trips have appeared in various media, including Die Welt, Taz, Zenith and Fluter.

Afghanistan under Taliban rule / 2021-2022

In August 2021, as international troops withdrew, the Taliban regained power, formed an interim government and proclaimed the 'Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan'. This marked the end of Nato's 20-year mission in the country.

Shortly afterwards, Johanna-Maria Fritz returned to Afghanistan. On this trip, she noticed that the Taliban seemed overwhelmed by their newfound power. While the level of violence in the country had improved compared to previous years, the Taliban were once again ruling with a heavy hand. In the months that followed, Fritz watched as they imposed numerous bans on Afghan women. At first, the Taliban were open to the international media. They were happy to give interviews and pose for photographs. But that soon changed. Now they barely allow journalists to work and have massively restricted freedom of the press.

Johanna-Maria Fritz published her photos in various German-language media, including the Neue Zürcher Zeitung and Stern.

An Afghan carpet / 2022

Since gaining power, the Taliban have cracked down on opponents of the regime and massively restricted women's rights. In 2022, they closed girls' schools. Women are oppressed and increasingly denied a self-determined life. Johanna-Maria Fritz photographed young women and girls in Herat, Afghanistan, who were forced to work as carpet weavers to earn a living. The series was commissioned by Zeit magazine.

Johanna-Maria Fritz was moved by the girls' stories. She asked the young women to weave portraits of Afghan men - photographs she had taken of them beforehand - into the carpets. The result is a seemingly heroic image, but also an image of Taliban oppression.