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Eric Fichtl
<p>Children playing along Dili's waterfront after the daily rainstorm.</p>

Thanks for visiting. This website features my photography, writing, and a bit about me.

PHOTOS

Here is a random sample of my photos. Visit my galleries for many more.


<p>Sunlight slices through forests beneath the Odle peaks.</p>
<p>Designed by Paul Ludwig Troost in the 1930s as a showpiece for the Nazis' brand of stripped-down neo-classical architecture, this Munich museum's inaugural show was the 'Great German Art Exhibition' in 1937 – a regime-approved counterpart to the infamous 'Degenerate Art Exhibition' the party arranged nearby, where contemporary works confiscated by the Nazis were put on scornful display. <br /></p> <p>While the 'great' exhibit featured a who's who list of names you've almost certainly never heard, many of those at the 'degenerate' show are among the 20th Century's most venerated artists. Further proof Hitler sucked at art.<br /></p> <p>Happily repudiating its origins, the Haus der Kunst subsequently became a venue for contemporary art exhibitions from around the world.</p>
<p>A mural commemorating the disappeared victims of the 1976-1983 military dictatorship in Argentina. <br /></p> <p>Attempts to deface the mural show the staying power of the country's reactionaries – between the 9 and 7 some fascist even scraped AAA, acronym of the Argentine Anticommunist Alliance, a far-right death squad that emerged in the late Perón years and murdered some 1100-1500 people. Argentina's post-dictatorship judiciary later found the AAA guilty of crimes against humanity.</p>
<p>A woman stands near an office for the Committee for the Defence of the Revolution. Set up in the early days of the Cuban revolution to counter saboteurs and counter-revolutionary activities, they have persisted as a sort of hybrid 'neighbourhood watch' and community welfare association. Critics contend they constitute little more than a vast network of informants for the government, while defenders claim they are essential for the local coordination of everything from vaccination campaigns and blood drives to hurricane evacuations.</p>
<p>Vines and a tree gradually reclaim a colonial era building in Jakarta's historic core.</p>
<p>A small beach on Ilhabela, a mountainous island not so distant – and yet a world away – from the urban expanse of São Paulo.</p>
<p>A tall oak and other trees coated just perfectly during a rare Berlin snowfall. <br /></p> <p>As I took this picture, a woman walking her dog passed by and said 'No one will ever believe those pictures are from Berlin'. Fair point.</p>
<p>Sunbeams and a cloud inversion in Abruxzo</p>
TEXTS

A lot of what I write professionally carries no byline. Here are some of the works I have put my name to.

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Are They Civilians or Mercenaries?

Misleading government statements mask the actual extent of Washington’s military involvement in Colombia.
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Looking Back: Seventeen Years Since the El Mozote Massacre

Over 700 defenseless peasants were brutally murdered by a Salvadoran batallion that received U.S. military training and supplies.
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When Disaster Strikes: Considerations for Helping Relief Efforts

The decision to head to a disaster area is not one that should be taken without first considering the complexities of the situation.