Farewell Sonata

• Photographer
  Mirja Maria Thiel

Since 12 years Gisela takes care of Helmut, her Alzheimer’s afflicted husband she is married to for 61 years. And even though there are moments Gisela feels as lonely as someone being in solitary confinement, she states: "There is a lot that is lost due to this illness but nevertheless you get something back. By nursing your partner a new form of intimacy arises. It’s important always to be kind, never to scream at your partner and to always take him seriously. This is a balancing act beween infantilizing and absolutely essential support. No one is prepared for that, you have to learn it!"

Mirja Maria Thiel, born in Hamburg 1971, holds a Master of Arts in American, English and German Literature and Linguistics. 2014-2019 Mirja studied „Photojournalism and Documentary Photography“ at the University of Applied Sciences and Arts in Hannover, Germany. She also took photography workshops with Darcy Padilla, Rob Hornstra, and Vanessa Winship. Mirja concentrates on personal longterm projects situated in her neighbourhood that deal with social issues and personal storys of universal human interest. She lives with her husband and their three children close to Bremen in northern Germany.