GOTTFRIED JÄGER


Gottfried Jäger (1937, Magdeburg, Germany) is a German photographer, photo-theorist and former university teacher.

He learned and worked from 1954 to 1958 under master photographer Siegfried Baumann in Bielefeld and became a qualified apprentice in 1957. He furthered his studies in technical photography in Cologne, graduating in 1960. Influenced by Herbert W. Franke's work on the interplay between physics, mathematics, and photography, Jäger adopted this integrative approach throughout his career. In 1960, Jäger began teaching photography at the Werkkunstschule Bielefeld, eventually leading to the creation of a Photo/Film Design specialization at the University of Applied Sciences Bielefeld in 1972, where he was appointed Professor of Photography and Film. He also established the research focus on Photography and Media and the Bielefeld photo symposia in 1984. Jäger's academic journey included a visiting professorship at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology and participation in various symposiums. Upon retiring in 2002, Jäger was honored as Emeritus for elevating photography to the same artistic status as painting and sculpture, coining the term "Generative Photography" in 1968. His efforts contributed to the legal recognition of photographs as visual art in German copyright law by 1984. Jäger held various leadership roles, including Dean of the Faculty of Design and Vice President for Research at FH Bielefeld, and has been awarded numerous accolades, such as the George Eastman Medal and the David Octavius Hill Medal. In 2011, he completed his PhD, focusing on Carl Strüwe's photomicrography, further cementing his legacy in the academic and photographic communities.