Universiteit van Bonn 1888

Curator: Look at this gelatin-silver print of the University of Bonn, taken in 1888. There's such an air of scholarly prestige conveyed in the photo, wouldn't you agree? Editor: It strikes me more as a picture of authority, honestly. Look at the way the building dominates the frame. I’m more drawn to thinking about who this institution historically served and who it excluded during this era. Curator: An excellent point. This type of architecture always carries layers of meaning. Notice the repetition of windows, each a little portal into learning but also creating this visual cadence almost suggesting a labyrinth of knowledge. Do you feel a sense of the rational, of ordered space? Editor: It speaks to the concept of ordered space but I would add, exclusionary space as well. We should keep in mind that while learning happened here, access to such learning was profoundly shaped by social structures, which at the time actively discriminated against women and members of minority communities. How did they perceive this building? Curator: The eye is immediately drawn to the statue positioned prominently above the central doorway. It could suggest patron deities and philosophical allegories meant to reinforce values of knowledge, contemplation. Does it invite questioning or rather promote adherence? Editor: Knowing the historical context, my feeling leans more toward promotion. In an image produced at the height of colonial powers, one must remember the role universities like this one had in codifying knowledge to support social hierarchies. What type of intellectual atmosphere would it have promoted during this period? Curator: Still, one might imagine, though, these architectural statements meant to evoke a sense of permanence and tradition, and maybe even a quest for understanding something that has continued since that photograph was taken. The quest of academic growth? Editor: Indeed. While physical structures stay immutable through time, its inhabitants continuously change and adapt, as with cultural awareness of this educational institute, through the past to present. Its importance must remain grounded and keep pushing towards intersectionality.