Born as native of Sorb, raised in the north of the former GDR, Katharina Grube aka KATHA moved right after her college exams in 1997 to Hamburg, Germany. In the same year she started majoring in the history and cultures of Maya and Aztecs as well as in German studies at the University of Hamburg. In 2000 she picked up her study of journalism and media communication as well. In both she passed the exams successfully and received her degrees, her university degree in 2007.

 

When she started studying at the University of Hamburg it´s been a declared goal of KATHA to become an editor for popular scientific magazines, publishing houses, etc. To reach that goal she worked during her study among others as an intern in editorial offices like National Geographic Germany or netzeitung.de. After finishing university she started working as a freelance online editor, content manager, consultant for online editorial offices when in the end of 2007 a travel to her second home California changed her point of view. 

 

Always trying to catch the next flight going somewhere she flew to L.A. and drove all the way up to San Francisco. Meeting up with a friend who showed her his surrounding area she discovered for the very first time the beautiful painted murals in the streets of The Mission. Since then she was passioned by urban arts and culture. In 2008 she founded her own online magazine and blog open blackbook which was based on urban art, contemporary art, street art and graffiti. Starting the magazine on her own, working as website designer, chief editor, photographer, social media analyst, etc. she worked soon with a small professional team of 3 people who helped her on voluntary basis bring the magazine up on professional level. In the following four years open blackbook won a huge international community through social media and word-to-mouth recommendation. Right now open blackbook is on hold.

 

KATHA now focuses more and more on photography since she discovered through open blackbook her photographic facilities.

 

In 2010 she joined an international invitation of the National Geographic Society getting the once-in-a-lifetime chance to go on a journey with a Magnum photographer to Burma and publish the photos afterwards in National Geographic Magazine.

 

In 2011 SIGMA Germany was looking for the SIGMA World Scout. That public tender has also been a unique chance to combine her passion and knowledge of traveling and photography. Based on her photographic samples KATHA was one of the last 10 of more than thousand candidates invited to the final call in Frankfurt/Main. In the end of the day she didn´t make it as the SIGMA World Scout but she was left as one of the final four!

 

 

... TO BE CONTINUED