Before We Leave

Abstract

The relationship between memory, photography, and cohabitation in Berlin’s Wohngemeinschaften (shared apartments) is examined dynamically in this thesis. How shared memories are formed by people amidst the fleeting nature of city life is demonstrated through qualitative interviews and photo analysis. As time goes on, rituals, shared objects, and casual photography become important ways to strengthen social and emotional ties. This turns ordinary places into rich archives of living experience. These results are built upon in the design project Before We Leave, which uses two different types of photography and a material book design to depict life in a WG. This highlights how fragile and strong shared urban histories can be. This work helps us better understand how memory, materiality, and visual culture come together in modern city life. It makes room for fresh ideas to help people feel a sense of belonging in unstable housing situations. to one another, in the face of constant transformation.