CHIMNEY SWEEPER

In my photo reportage, I accompany Nadine G. who since 2020 runs her own chimney sweeping business. Her sweeping district is located in North Germany, mainly in parts of the city of Buchholz and the joint municipalities of Hollenstedt and Tostedt. 

There were many reasons for Nadine to become self-employed: autonomy in her job, the opportunity to reconcile family and professional life in a self-determined manner, and the high level of personal responsibility.

When we first met, I was impressed by her enthusiasm for her profession. From her point of view, being a young female professional in a male-dominated working world does not contradict each other. On the contrary, Nadine enriches the traditional profession with innovative and sustainable ideas. Her company offers, among many other things, the preparation of energy certificates as well as fire protection measures.

Even when she has time off, her free time and work tend to overlap: Nadine is involved in the volunteer fire department and likes to use social media to provide information about her job and give it a contemporary makeover by sharing details about herself and her work. 

Even though her favorite part of the day is the time she spends with her customers, however her favorite place to be is to stand alone on the roof and to sweep chimneys – it gives her a great view and peace of mind. Of course, a lot of desk work into the evening is also part of the daily work routine – which makes the anticipation of the next day all the greater.