Anton Hammerl
| Anton Hammerl | |
|---|---|
| Born |
Anton Lazarus Hammerl 12 December 1969 Johannesburg, South Africa |
| Died |
5 April 2011 (aged 41) Outside of Brega, Libya |
| Cause of death | Gunshot wounds |
| Nationality | South Africa/Austria |
| Education | Pretoria Technikon |
| Occupation | Photojournalist |
| Years active | 1992–2011 |
| Spouse(s) | Penny Sukhraj |
| Children | 3 |
| Website | Official website |
Anton Hammerl (12 December 1969 – 5 April 2011) was a photojournalist shot and killed by troops loyal to Muammar Gaddafi outside of Brega while covering the Libyan Civil War on 5 April 2011. After his death, Hammerl's family was led to believe by the Gaddafi regime that he was alive and safe but held in detention in Libya. His family learned about his death on 19 May after the release of a group of journalists who had been with Hammerl when he was killed.
Hammerl was one of five journalists killed during the civil war. His remains have not yet been located.
Anton Lazarus Hammerl was born in Johannesburg, South Africa on 12 December 1969 to Ludwig and Freda Hammerl.
Hammerl attended King Edwards Primary and Roosevelt High School. When his photographic studies ended in the early 1990s, he began his career in photojournalism. Hammerl also served in Angola with the South African Defence Force. After completing national service, he enrolled at Pretoria Technikon to study photography.
In 2003, Hammerl married Penny Sukhraj. They had two children. Hammerl was a dual citizen of Austria and South Africa.
In 1992, Hammerl began working as a freelance photojournalist for The Star, where he met colleague and mentor, Ken Oosterbroek. A South African, Oosterbroek was a member of the Bang-Bang Club. After working with The Star, Hammerl began to freelance for Associated Press, covering South Africa democratisation and the end of apartheid.
In 1995, Hammerl, while continuing his work with The Star, began working as a senior photographer for independent South African newspapers the Saturday Star and the Sunday Independent. In 2001, he became the picture editor and chief photographer at the Saturday Star. From 2006 until his death in 2011, Hammerl went back to being a freelance photojournalist in London.
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