Biography
Jesco Denzel was born in Bremen in 1972. He studied political science at the University of Hamburg until 2001, followed by a degree in photojournalism in Hanover (2002–2005). He gained his first professional experience as an intern at, among others, the taz newspaper, the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (FAZ), and Spiegel TV.
Denzel began working as a freelance photographer in 2005. He received the Yann Geoffroy Award in 2006 for his photo essay "Hanover, Eastern Cape." In 2007 he was awarded a grant from VG Bild-Kunst, the German collecting society for visual artists, for the reportage "Nickel und Kanaken." His photo essay "Migingo – Business on the Rock" (2010), about the harsh living conditions on Migingo, a rocky island in Lake Victoria barely the size of a football pitch, earned him a Gabriel Grüner Grant and a place on the shortlist for the Henri Nannen Prize.
In 2011, Jesco Denzel became the official photographer of the German federal government, documenting engagements and travels of the Chancellor and the Federal President, among other duties. He continued to produce photo essays alongside this work. For "Alles muss weg – Lagos Waterfronts in Gefahr" (2017) he again received a grant from VG Bild-Kunst, as well as the 2018 World Press Photo Award.
From 2019, Denzel also worked in television as a cameraman on several documentaries, including "Im Schatten der Clans" (2019) and "Mein Nachbar, der Neonazi" (2021), both part of the documentary series "37 Grad" and directed by Güner Balcı. The two went on to co-direct another "37 Grad" report, "Die Nummer auf meinem Arm – Albrecht Weinberg und seine Geschichte," about the Holocaust survivor Albrecht Weinberg. This report formed the basis for the theatrical documentary "Albrecht Weinberg – Es ist immer in meinem Kopf" (2026), which was released in cinemas in September 2026.