Balkon van het stadhuis van Vollenhove 1898

This photograph of the balcony of Vollenhove's city hall was created by an anonymous photographer. It’s a portrait of power, yet also a silent witness to the complexities of civic life. In Dutch cities, the city hall was not just a place of governance, but a stage for public life. Balconies such as this served as a crucial architectural element, projecting authority while simultaneously allowing the rulers to address the public. The architecture itself speaks of a specific social order, where pronouncements and decisions were often made by a select few, usually men of a certain class and status. Think about who was present in these spaces, and who was excluded. What did it mean to look up at these figures from below? The balcony is a potent symbol, it leaves us to think about the theater of power, and how it continues to shape our cities today.