Shooting the Swiss teen rebels of the 1950s
- Text by HUCK HQ
- Photography by Karlheinz Weinberger

Before his death in 2006, Karlheinz Weinberger was little known. The Swiss photographer had spent most of his life working at Siemens plant in Zurich, only pausing briefly to shoot on his breaks, evenings and weekends. For him, his real life – the one where he got to indulge in his passion for photography – started on Friday night, and ended on Monday morning.
Weinberger’s work focused mainly on the characters living on the fringes of society. He would shoot his fellow plant workers, immigrants, bikers, rockers, and rebellious leather-clad teens – basically, anyone who positioned themselves as an “outsider” or who felt left behind in some way by mainstream culture.
Now, for the first time, Weinberger’s huge artistic trove is being published. Thanks to art-book publisher Sturm & Drang, the photographer’s stylish black and white portraits will finally see the light of day, with five volume-long photo book series currently in the works. The first publication, focusing on his run-ins with bikers and rebels, is called HALBSTARKE (a Swiss-German word for rebels/outsider – go figure).
“Tens of thousands of prints, slides and negatives have been collected, archived, numbered and indexed over the course of the last decade,” revealed Sturm & Drang in a statement. “With Halbstarke as Volume #1, Sturm & Drang publishers will follow with more releases that cover topics such as sports, tattoos and insignias, his travels to the South of Italy, and the extensive work he did with biker gangs and rockers.”
HALBSTARKE is available now via Sturm & Drang.
Enjoyed this article? Like Huck on Facebook or follow us on Twitter.
Latest on Huck
Meet the hair-raised radical women of Berlin’s noise punk scene
Powertool — In his new zine, George Nebieridze captures moments of loud rage and quiet intimacy within the German capital’s female-only bands, while exploring the intersections between music, community and anti-establishment politics.
Written by: Miss Rosen

Amid tensions in Eastern Europe, young Latvians are reviving their country’s folk rhythms
Spaces Between the Beats — The Baltic nation’s ancient melodies have long been a symbol of resistance, but as Russia’s war with Ukraine rages on, new generations of singers and dancers are taking them to the mainstream.
Written by: Jack Styler

Uwade: “I was determined to transcend popular opinion”
What Made Me — In this series, we ask artists and rebels about the about the forces and experiences that shaped who they are. Today, it’s Nigerian-born, South Carolina-raised indie-soul singer Uwade.
Written by: Uwade

Inside the obscured, closeted habitats of Britain’s exotic pets
“I have a few animals...” — For his new series, photographer Jonty Clark went behind closed doors to meet rare animal owners, finding ethical grey areas and close bonds.
Written by: Hannah Bentley

Frazer Clarke: “I had a hole in my leg, I’m very lucky to be alive”
Hard Feelings — For our interview column on masculinity and fatherhood, the Olympic boxing medallist speaks to Robert Kazandjian about hard graft, the fear and triumph of his first fight, and returning to the ring after being stabbed on a night out.
Written by: Robert Kazandjian

Remembering Holly Woodlawn, Andy Warhol muse and trans trailblazer
Love You Madly — A new book explores the actress’s rollercoaster life and story, who helped inspire Lou Reed’s ‘Walk on the Wild Side’.
Written by: Miss Rosen