​AUGENBLICK is a photography project that supports Berlin domestic violence shelters with the profits from a book and associated events.

The inspiration for AUGENBLICK came to Julie Schoen when she started thinking about the changes that we, as women, made to our lives during the pandemic. The way we worked, socialized, and adopted new roles within the family was completely different than before. Some of us were empowered to take new paths, some developed ways of just staying above water, and some were in limbo. Julie partnered with Kat Tichy, a songwriter and producer, and AUGENBLICK was born. The photography project documents these changes in the lives of 36 Berlin women across different neighborhoods, family statuses, and age groups.

We asked these women three questions: What changed for you during the lockdown? How did you adapt? What makes you hopeful for the future? The AUGENBLICK book captures a moment in the life of each of these inspiring women.

Even though domestic abuse numbers rose at a faster rate during the pandemic, women's shelters around Berlin experienced a decrease in resources and struggled to keep up with the demand for refuge. All of the 36 women featured in the AUGENBLICK book donated their time and told their inspiring stories so that the project could support Hestia e.V., a Berlin Frauenhaus (shelter for domestic abuse victims). Profits from book sales and associated events will go toward helping Hestia build a new children’s area in the shelter.