He died on the way to Schilksee. It was a car accident that cost Peter Cornelius his life on 28 August 1970. The photographer, who shaped the image of Kiel all over the world, was only 57 years old.
For Kiel Week in June, the city of Kiel is now honouring his work with two exhibitions: in the Warleberger Hof city museum (Dänische Straße 19) and in the city gallery (Andreas-Gayk-Straße 31). YACHT will be reviewing the life of this great photographic artist in advance and showing some of his most famous photographs.
Born in Kiel, he was not a sailing photographer in the strict sense of the word; he had made a name for himself internationally with city and architectural photography, among other things. But when the week came to Kiel, he was right in the thick of it. And he created sensational images for the conditions - including the template for the 1972 Olympic poster and the almost legendary photo of Olympic champion Willi Kuhweide in the Finn. In any case, the way Cornelius saw sailing on the fjord was the way people all over the world saw it after his photos had spread around the globe.
Cornelius was also a pioneer. Among other things, he was responsible for the first colour cover of YACHT (issue 1/1966), which also featured a woman on the cover for the first time. And: He repeatedly provided readers with useful tips on sailing photography. For example: "The really exciting pictures are only taken when it gets really uncomfortable."
Also in the magazine, as a service for Kiel Week: tips and information on the most important disciplines and programmes for this year's event.
