Gezicht op de Brandenburger Tor te Berlijn 1891

This photograph of the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin was produced by the firm of Römmler & Jonas. The image creates meaning through its visual codes, cultural references, and historical associations. Built in the late 18th century, the Gate was originally commissioned by a Prussian king as a symbol of peace, but it has been repurposed to reflect changing social and political conditions. At the time this photograph was produced, Germany had recently been unified as a modern nation-state, and the Gate had become a powerful symbol of German strength. The figures in the image suggest the careful cultivation of public space as a means of demonstrating national pride. A historian would use resources such as period newspapers, government documents, and architectural plans to understand the changing symbolic meanings of the Brandenburg Gate. Careful attention to such institutional and social contexts can illuminate the complex and contested public role of art.