“Hemp paper was among the writing materials used in the era of the American Founding Fathers, and to this day it stands for durability and the preservation of significant historical records.” With these words, Hahnemühle CEO Jan Wölfle announces a special exhibition on the occasion of the 250th anniversary of the United States’ Declaration of Independence on July 4: the traumatic terrorist attacks in New York on September 11, 2001, will be printed in iconic images and preserved for the next generation — in remembrance of the Founding Fathers — on Hahnemühle Hemp Paper as well.
Two anniversaries. One material built to outlast them both: Hemp Paper
The tragic images of 9/11 have become deeply etched into humanity’s collective visual memory. Many of these dramatic and moving scenes were captured by German photographer Helmut Fricke. “No one was closer than I was. I was on site for a report on New York Fashion Week and the Fulton Fish Market when the World Trade Center’s Twin Towers were attacked and collapsed,” recalls Helmut Fricke, then a photojournalist, a quarter century later.
In 2001, Helmut Fricke spent ten days photographing in Manhattan for the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (F.A.Z.) – and stayed even after the dust of 9/11 had settled. With his Leica M6, he captured a wounded, traumatized city and its residents. The images – mostly in black and white – are powerful examples of street photography, resonating intuitively through their analog, documentary character. In the years that followed, Helmut Fricke returned on many anniversaries of the attacks to photograph the One World Monument and the 9/11 Memorial’s “Reflecting Absence” pools at the site of the former World Trade Center.
The exhibition featuring Helmut Fricke’s powerful 9/11 images from Manhattan – exclusively printed on Hahnemühle Digital FineArt Paper — will be shown in “Mainhattan”* starting September 10, 2026, at Massif Central in the Bethmannhof near Frankfurt’s Römer. The exhibition is presented by F.A.Z., Massif Central, and Hahnemühle.
Deeply etched into humanity´s collective visual memory – soon on My Art Registry
On the occasion of the exhibition, Helmut Fricke is bringing his analog visual legacy of 9/11 to the digital platform My Art Registry – Hahnemühle’s online platform for the authentication, reproduction, and worldwide distribution of prints and digital editions.
*”Mainhattan” is a popular nickname for Frankfurt, playing on the city’s skyline of skyscrapers (reminiscent of Manhattan) and its location on the river Main.
