Boten aan de kade in Frankfurt am Main 1869 - 1872

This is a photograph of boats on the quay in Frankfurt am Main by Johann Friedrich Stiehm. Note the boats clustered along the quay. From antiquity to the present day, the boat has carried cultural and spiritual significance. In ancient Egyptian religion, boats were essential for transporting the dead. They also appear in countless myths and legends, from the epic voyage of Noah’s Ark to the boat of Ra, traversing the sky each day. Even in secular contexts, boats stir deep emotions, symbolizing journeys, both physical and metaphorical. They connect us to the subconscious, reminding us of humanity’s timeless quest for exploration and passage through life's turbulent waters. The presence of these boats evokes a sense of collective memory, a recognition of our shared human experience across time. Just as boats have carried people and goods across rivers and oceans, they continue to carry cultural meaning, resurfacing time and again in our collective consciousness.