Helga Kneidl

Helga Kneidl, née Claus (born September 29, 1939, in Dresden), is a German photographer.
Between 1953 and 1958, Helga Claus trained in artistic dance at the Palucca School. Subsequently, she was engaged as a dancer at various German theaters and festivals. In 1961, she married the set designer Karl Kneidl; the couple had two children.
Helga Kneidl learned theater photography under Leonard Zubler (1938–2026) in Zurich (1969–1970). She photographed rehearsals for *The Changeling*, directed by Peter Stein, at the Schauspielhaus Zürich. In 1970, she moved to the Schaubühne in Berlin. In 1973, she traveled to Paris and photographed Romy Schneider. From 1972 to 1978, she served as the resident photographer for the Schaubühne in Berlin while also accepting commissions for the Schiller Theater and the Grips Theater. She was under contract with Ivan Nagel at the Schauspielhaus Hamburg and worked in Zurich and Rotterdam. In 1979–1980, she created a photographic film about New York City ("The Big Apple").
From 1980 to 1996, she worked again at the Schauspielhaus Hamburg. During the 1980s, she photographed figures such as Joseph Beuys, Rainer Werner Fassbinder, Heiner Müller, and Erland Josephson. As a guest photographer, she worked with Günter Krämer in Bremen and at the Hamburg State Opera with directors including Schaaf, Dresen, and Mussbach. She produced still photographs for films by Blumenberg, Senf, and Vielsmeier. Additionally, her work appeared in newspapers, magazines, and books. In 2001, she handled the theater photography for Hans Neuenfels' production of *Titus Andronicus* at the Deutsches Theater in Berlin.
Helga Kneidl has lived in Berlin since 1997, working primarily in portrait photography.