Stadsgezicht van Rotterdam met ruïnes, gezien vanaf Erasmushuis c. 1940 - 1945

Editor: This gelatin-silver print, "Stadsgezicht van Rotterdam met ruïnes, gezien vanaf Erasmushuis," made around 1940-1945 by J. Nolte, is utterly devastating. The cityscape is reduced to rubble. It really makes you feel the weight of war. How do you interpret this work? Curator: It's a stark image, isn’t it? Looking at it through a historical lens, we must consider the cultural trauma inflicted upon Rotterdam. The deliberate targeting of civilian centers during the Blitz aimed to break morale, and photography like this, circulating perhaps later on, becomes a crucial document, a tool for shaping collective memory. Who gets to determine which images become representative of such events and why? Editor: That’s fascinating! So the photograph isn't just showing the ruins, it's actively participating in constructing the narrative of the war? Curator: Exactly. And consider the institutions displaying this. Museums serve as gatekeepers, imbuing such photographs with an official stamp of historical importance. This image also invites us to think about what we as a society value when commemorating the trauma. Is it resilience, remembrance, or a reckoning with the political failures that lead to war? Does it risk aestheticizing the devastation by presenting it within an art context? Editor: I see. It’s so much more than just a record of destruction. It’s a piece of political and cultural commentary too, shaped by its context. I hadn't thought about museums having such an active role. Curator: Precisely! Hopefully, it helps us reflect critically on how such institutions influence our understanding of history and the politics of imagery. Editor: Absolutely. This image will stay with me, not just as art but as a piece of history with many voices.