Isabel Wachenheimer met twee onbekende personen voor het sanatorium Etania, 1945-1947, Davos 1945 - 1947

This photograph, taken between 1945 and 1947 outside the Etania sanatorium in Davos, captures Isabel Wachenheimer with two companions. Notice how they are linked by their arms; this physical connection speaks volumes. In antiquity, linking arms might have signified alliance or camaraderie. Yet, observe how the gesture’s meaning shifts through time. Consider the medieval depictions of dance, where linked arms were a symbol of community and shared joy. But here, the setting—a sanatorium—infuses the gesture with a deeper, more poignant significance. It becomes a silent language of mutual support, hinting at the shared experience of illness. The very act of linking arms takes on a profound psychological dimension. It underscores a shared will to endure, echoing the primal human need for connection in times of vulnerability. These figures are not merely posing; they are expressing a shared humanity.