Straatgezicht in Neurenberg met toren van de stadsmuur 1870 - 1890

Ferdinand Schmidt captured this photograph of a Nuremberg street scene, including the city wall tower. Schmidt was active during a time of significant urban transformation in Europe, including Germany, as cities adapted to industrialization and population growth. The architecture here reflects a medieval past, a past that became important in defining German identity during the late 19th century. The photograph’s sepia tones evoke nostalgia, romanticizing the pre-industrial era. There's a sense of quiet, a pause, but also a palpable sense of labor. Carts and tools hint at the lives and work of the inhabitants. The washing hung out to dry is also telling. What stories do these walls hold? What histories are embedded in these stones? I think the image invites us to reflect on the relationship between place, memory, and identity, and on the transformations that shape our environments and lived experiences.