“Did they take care of my camera?” Gerda Taro’s last words echo with dedication. They reflect her commitment to photojournalism. Here at Gerda Taro Stele, we honor a pioneer. She was a woman who captured the Spanish Civil War through her lens.
Gerda Taro Plaza remembers Gerta Pohorylle. She was born in Stuttgart. This memorial celebrates her life as a photographer. The Gerda Taro Stele stands as a tribute to her courage.
Born in 1910 in Stuttgart, Gerta Pohorylle faced the rise of Nazi Germany. Being Jewish, her family emigrated when she was 23. She found herself in Paris. There she met Endre Friedmann. He was a Hungarian Jew. Together, they delved into the world of photography.
They created an alias. “Robert Capa” was meant to attract the American market. Taro and Capa shared this name. This mitigated the political intolerance in Europe. But Taro later created her own identity. She became Gerda Taro. This was inspired by the Japanese artist Tarō Okamoto and actress Greta Garbo. Friedmann took up the name Robert Capa for himself.
When the Spanish Civil War erupted in 1936, Taro and Capa went to Barcelona. They covered the events together. Taro earned the nickname “La pequeña rubia.” That translates to “The little blonde”. Their photographs appeared in major publications. These included Zürcher Illustrierte and Vu.
Initially, their work was distinguishable. Taro used a Rollei camera. This resulted in square format photos. Capa used a Contax or Leica. That created rectangular pictures. Later, they produced similar 35 mm pictures. These were under the label of Capa & Taro.
Taro later gained independence. She refused Capa’s marriage proposal. She became associated with anti-fascist intellectuals. These included Ernest Hemingway and George Orwell. The communist newspaper Ce Soir signed her. She published works solely under her name. Publications such as Regards and Life also used her work.
Her Valencia bombing photographs are her most celebrated. In July 1937, she covered the Brunete region near Madrid alone. Her photographs became highly sought after. They were the only testimony to the actual situation. Nationalist propaganda claimed the region was under their control. Taro’s photos proved otherwise. They showed that Republican forces had forced the Nationalists out.
During the Republican army retreat at the Battle of Brunete, tragedy struck. Taro hopped onto a car carrying wounded soldiers. An insurgent tank collided with the car. Critically wounded, she died on July 26, 1937.
Her death was a major loss. She became an anti-fascist figure. The French Communist Party gave her a grand funeral in Paris. Tens of thousands attended. Alberto Giacometti created a monument for her grave.
In 2008, Stuttgart named this square after her. It is the Gerda-Taro-Platz. In 2014, the square was redesigned. Nine metal steles were added. Each has a letter of her name cut out.
Gerda Taro’s legacy continues. She was the first female photojournalist to die covering the front lines. Her work captured the suffering of the Spanish people during the war. It marked a new era in war reportage. The Gerda Taro Stele here serves as a reminder. It is a reminder of her courage, her talent and her lasting impact on photojournalism.