Fotoreproductie van een gravure van Schillers geboortehuis in Marbach 1879 - 1949

This is a photograph by Wilhelm Hartan of an engraving of Schiller's Birthplace in Marbach. The original engraving depicts the house as it appeared in 1759, the year of Schiller’s birth, reflecting a desire to preserve and commemorate national identity through its cultural figures. The choice to photograph an engraving, rather than the actual house, introduces layers of mediation. It is as though the "real" place is unreachable, accessible only through artistic and technological reproduction. The romantic era was one preoccupied with notions of authenticity and originality. The image may prompt us to consider the relationship between place, memory, and identity. How do the places we come from shape who we are? Schiller's birthplace becomes a symbol, imbued with the weight of cultural and historical significance. We are left to contemplate the role of such symbols in shaping our collective understanding of self.