David Eldan

David Eldan was an Austrian-born Israeli photographer who worked for the Government Press Office.

1914 to 1989Government Press Office photographyBuilding the GPO photo archiveEichmann trial television recordings

Born: 12 February 1914, Vienna
Died: 5 August 1989, Givatayim
Occupation: photographer

David Eldan was born in 1914 in Vienna

David Eldan was born David Enderman in Vienna on February 12, 1914. He took an interest in photography at a young age, influenced by his uncle Fred Dunkel. He studied medicine in Vienna but stopped in 1934, when he moved to the Land of Israel.

He first lived on a kibbutz and then worked for the Jewish Agency, which helped Jewish youth escape Europe. In early 1938 he traveled to Vienna for his father's funeral and narrowly escaped arrest by the Gestapo after the annexation of Austria.

After returning, he joined the British Army in 1938 and was stationed in Cairo. He taught himself photography there and specialized in portraits.

After his discharge in 1946 he opened a photo studio in Tel Aviv. After 1948 he worked under the name Eldan in the photography department of the Government Press Office, headed by Moshe Pearlman. During the Eichmann trial in 1961 he was in charge of the television recordings.

He built the photo archive of the Government Press Office, which also holds work by other photographers. Moshe Milner later took over his role. He died in Givatayim on August 5, 1989.