At the end of the 1960s, the Federal Republic experienced its first economic downturn. The student movement, the “limits to growth”, the arms race in the Cold War, later AIDS and the reactor disaster in Chernobyl were now her topics. At the same time, Ruth Baumgarte remained true to her eye for outsiders. Gloomy, dark colors dominate, the depiction moves away from a sober illustration towards symbolistic and sometimes surreal compositions.