Last week on Friday June 6 2007 Bernhard Becher, born in Siegen on March 20 1931, passed away after a long desease.

Bernd and Hilla Becher became the founders of a new form of documentary photography and also became famous for the Becher-school in Dusseldorf, where they taught photographers like Andreas Gursky, Thomas Ruff, Candida Hoefer, Thomas Struth and many more.

One of the very first works they published, in 1977 initially, was about the Siegerland half-timbered houses. Their first exhibition was at Galerie Ruth Nohl in 1963 in Siegen.

Much later, when our city was planning the new Museum für Gegenwartskunst, they dedicated a tremendous amount of time and energy to work on the first complete presentation of their half-timbered houses. They both collaborated in the museology and exhibition planning together with famous architect Josef Paul Kleihues.

We have to thank Bernd and Hilla for their lifetime of work and for never forgetting about their roots in Siegen and the Siegerland.