Schoorsteenmantel in een pand van de Berg van Barmhartigheid te Mechelen before 1889

This is a photograph of a stone mantelpiece, situated in a room of the Berg van Barmhartigheid, or Mount of Piety, in Mechelen. As a pawnshop, the Mount of Piety was originally established to offer the poor an alternative to usurious lenders. This image offers a glimpse into the architecture of social welfare in the 15th century. Although this photograph obscures the stories of the countless individuals who passed through its doors, it also quietly testifies to their existence. The hearth was at the center of social life, and this photograph highlights the significance of warmth and shelter as basic human rights. Consider how the mantelpiece, as a symbol of domesticity, contrasts with the institutional nature of the Mount of Piety. The photograph invites us to reflect on the complex relationship between private and public life, and to imagine the lives of those who sought refuge within its walls.