A Rare Glimpse Into Iran in the 1980s by German Photographer

A German photographer has published the rare and interesting pictures of daily life in Iran in the 1980s, the era after the revolution during which the country was at war with Iraq.

At a time when foreigners had faced restrictions on travel to Iran, Casey Hugelfink managed to enter the war-torn country and to capture the moments of Iranian life after getting married to an Iranian woman.

The pictures taken by a 35mm Olympus OM has been released by UK Guardian newspaper.

Hugelfink says:

“I was married to an Iranian and we owned a shop with Iranian handicrafts in Munich. For this reason we had connections with traders in the bazaar in Isfahan and I visited the country several times between 1980 and 1989. We also did lots of family visits, but I never lived there.

I really love Iran and its people. Those years of war had been a hard time and I remember ration coupons, nightly blackouts and losses in every family. But this is slowly fading away and what remains is so much love and the strong will of the people supporting each other.” (Gaurdian)

August 6, 1980. Photograph: Casey Hugelfink

A bakery in Yaft Abad, then a village southwest of Tehran. November 9, 1982. Above: A madrasa in Isfahan during Ramadan. Women are usually barred from this place, but the doorman said he was making an exception because all the students were asleep. And so I got to catch a glimpse on this forbidden place. Photographs: Casey Hugelfink

Wild horses in a natural preserve accessible by boat. Near Bandar-e Anzali, a harbour town on the Caspian Sea near Rasht. August 15, 1980. Photograph: Casey Hugelfink

Imamzadeh Davoud near the Alborz mountains in Tehran, Iran. Photograph: Casey Hugelfink

An Alam in Yaft Abad. ‘Alams were originally battle standards, designed to be carried like flags into the fight, but in 17th century Iran they were used in great religious processions, and rallied not warriors, but the faithful.’ November 9, 1982. Photograph: Casey Hugelfink

Returning from the war. Photograph: Casey Hugelfink

Tajrish mosque, November 17, 1982. Photograph: Casey Hugelfin

Playground in Rasht. Photograph: Casey Hugelfink

Bandar-e Anzali, Iran. Photograph: Casey Hugelfink

Bandar-e Anzali, Iran. Photograph: Casey Hugelfink

We ran into ‘the last dervish’ in the yard of the Shah Abdol Azim Shrine in Rey. Photograph: Casey Hugelfink

Power down in Yaft Abad. The family garden had an artificial irrigation system built by a German engineer in the 19th century. During the Iran-Iraq war there were many days without electricity and water. We had to wash our dishes in the residual pool water. November 10, 1982. Photograph: Casey Hugelfink