Anja Niedringhaus
Encyclopedia
Anja Niedringhaus is a Pulitzer Prize
-winning photojournalist from Germany
. She was the only woman on a team of
11 Associated Press
photographers awarded the prestigious journalism prize in 2005 for breaking news photography for their coverage of the war in Iraq. That same year she was awarded the International Women's Media Foundation
's Courage in Journalism prize.
Niedringhaus was born in 1965 and began working as a freelance photographer at age 17 while still in high school. In 1989, she covered the collapse of the Berlin Wall
for the German newspaper Göttinger Tageblatt
.
Niedringhaus began full-time work as a photojournalist in 1990 when she joined the European Pressphoto Agency
in Frankfurt, Germany. As EPA's Chief Photographer she spent the first ten years of her career covering the wars in the former Yugoslavia
.
In 2001, Niedringhaus photographed the aftermath of the September 11 terrorist attacks in New York City
and then traveled
to Afghanistan
, where she spent three months covering the fall of the Taliban.
In 2002, she joined The Associated Press, for whom she has worked in Iraq
, Afghanistan, the Gaza Strip
, Israel
, Kuwait
and Turkey
.
In 2006, Niedringhaus was awarded a prestigious Nieman fellowship at Harvard University. She was part of the 69th class of Nieman Fellows where she studied culture, history, religion and the issues of gender in the Middle East and their impact on the development of foreign policy in the United States and other Western countries. Established in 1938, the Nieman program is the oldest midcareer fellowship for journalists in the world. The fellowships are awarded to working journalists of accomplishment and promise for an academic year of study at the university.
Her work has been exhibited at the Museum of Modern Art in Frankfurt, Germany, and in galleries and museums in elsewhere, including Graz, Austria.
Pulitzer Prize
The Pulitzer Prize is a U.S. award for achievements in newspaper and online journalism, literature and musical composition. It was established by American publisher Joseph Pulitzer and is administered by Columbia University in New York City...
-winning photojournalist from Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. She was the only woman on a team of
11 Associated Press
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
photographers awarded the prestigious journalism prize in 2005 for breaking news photography for their coverage of the war in Iraq. That same year she was awarded the International Women's Media Foundation
International Women's Media Foundation
The International Women’s Media Foundation , located in Washington, DC, is a network of thousands of left-wing women journalists working internationally to elevate the status of women in the media. The IWMF has created groundbreaking programs to help women in the media develop practical solutions...
's Courage in Journalism prize.
Niedringhaus was born in 1965 and began working as a freelance photographer at age 17 while still in high school. In 1989, she covered the collapse of the Berlin Wall
Berlin Wall
The Berlin Wall was a barrier constructed by the German Democratic Republic starting on 13 August 1961, that completely cut off West Berlin from surrounding East Germany and from East Berlin...
for the German newspaper Göttinger Tageblatt
Göttinger Tageblatt
The Göttinger Tageblatt is the single printed local daily newspaper to circulate in Göttingen in the south of the state of Lower Saxony in Germany. The coverage area of the paper includes the city of Göttingen and surrounding towns and villages....
.
Niedringhaus began full-time work as a photojournalist in 1990 when she joined the European Pressphoto Agency
European Pressphoto Agency
European Pressphoto Agency B.V. is an international news photo agency.Images from all parts of the world covering news, politics, sports, business, finance as well as arts, culture and entertainment are provided by a global network of over 400 professional photographers and included in the epa news...
in Frankfurt, Germany. As EPA's Chief Photographer she spent the first ten years of her career covering the wars in the former Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia refers to three political entities that existed successively on the western part of the Balkans during most of the 20th century....
.
In 2001, Niedringhaus photographed the aftermath of the September 11 terrorist attacks in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
and then traveled
to Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
, where she spent three months covering the fall of the Taliban.
In 2002, she joined The Associated Press, for whom she has worked in Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
, Afghanistan, the Gaza Strip
Gaza Strip
thumb|Gaza city skylineThe Gaza Strip lies on the Eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea. The Strip borders Egypt on the southwest and Israel on the south, east and north. It is about long, and between 6 and 12 kilometres wide, with a total area of...
, Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
, Kuwait
Kuwait
The State of Kuwait is a sovereign Arab state situated in the north-east of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the south at Khafji, and Iraq to the north at Basra. It lies on the north-western shore of the Persian Gulf. The name Kuwait is derived from the...
and Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
.
In 2006, Niedringhaus was awarded a prestigious Nieman fellowship at Harvard University. She was part of the 69th class of Nieman Fellows where she studied culture, history, religion and the issues of gender in the Middle East and their impact on the development of foreign policy in the United States and other Western countries. Established in 1938, the Nieman program is the oldest midcareer fellowship for journalists in the world. The fellowships are awarded to working journalists of accomplishment and promise for an academic year of study at the university.
Her work has been exhibited at the Museum of Modern Art in Frankfurt, Germany, and in galleries and museums in elsewhere, including Graz, Austria.