Ter ere van de gesneuvelden in september en oktober Possibly 1830

This silver medal was made in 1830 by M. Borrel to honor those who fell in September and October during the Belgian Revolution. The medal commemorates the uprising in Brussels against the United Kingdom of the Netherlands, which led to Belgium’s independence. On one side, we see a tombstone with a weeping willow, a symbol of mourning. The inscription honors the fallen who succumbed to death in September and October. The reverse side depicts a laurel wreath, signifying victory, surrounding the dates of the uprising: 23-26 September 1830. The inscription reads “To the brave defenders of Belgium.” This medal speaks to the ways in which nations use symbols and commemorative objects to construct a shared identity and collective memory, particularly after periods of conflict and nation-building. Understanding the full meaning of objects like this requires that we examine not only the object itself, but also the wider historical context in which it was created.