My Anarchist Album

God wants it that way. The state wants it that way. Your father wants it that way. But why is there a superior, invisible entity that tells me what to do, what not to do, what to think, what to believe, which profession to have and whom to love? Anarchism puts us on a political and philosophical merry-go-round of which you don’t know when it will stop. Anarchism is not satisfied with what is. It wants the end of violence and domination. It wants a life before death.

Eva Demski has explored the exciting history of anarchism – and collected the countless manifestations in which she has encountered it. She recalls Bakunin, Mühsam and Emma Goldman, tells the stories of 19th-century anarchist watchmakers, of progressive princes and female explorers like Isabelle Eberhardt; she discovers almost forgotten poets and tries to understand Lucheni, the murderer of Empress Sisi. Portraits, on-site visits, everyday observations, pamphlets and declarations of love have resulted in a colourful album with snapshots from many epochs – and one is amazed at all the things that can be done with the letter A.