Drone photo of the collapsed Carola Bridge in Dresden. The pre-stressed concrete bridge dates back to the GDR era and had structural deficiencies.

DRESDEN 11.09.2024

Robert Michael
dpa photographer,
Dresden 

Dresden, September 11, 2024, 5:22 a.m.: “Hi, grab your camera, get up, run towards the Carola Bridge, it’s mostly collapsed, have fun.” After receiving this message from a friend on my voicemail, who had already called three times, I literally jumped out of bed. Since I live not far from the bridge, I was able to get there quickly by bike, not really believing it was true.

I immediately ran through all the possible positions from which I should try to take the photos. 6:03 a.m., the first photo. Only a long exposure time made it possible to see the parts of the bridge that had fallen into the Elbe. That’s what I love so much about photography. Making things visible that you would otherwise overlook or not even notice. Passers-by asked me what I was actually photographing. I knew immediately that this event was historic.  

By midday, I had tried out all the possible positions on the ground and sent several shots to the photo desk. I flew the drone for a few minutes to get an arial view. As a native of Dresden, this event still haunts me to this day.