Inhuldiging van Jozef II, Duits keizer als hertog van Brabant en graaf van Vlaanderen 1781

This silver medal by Theodorus Victor van Berckel commemorates the inauguration of Joseph II as Duke of Brabant and Count of Flanders. In the late 18th century, Joseph II's enlightened absolutism sought to modernize the Habsburg territories. His reforms, influenced by Enlightenment ideals, aimed to centralize power and promote social welfare, but often met with resistance from local populations attached to their regional customs and privileges. The medal presents us with the idealized image of a leader. One side portrays Joseph II in profile, adorned with a laurel wreath, evoking classical notions of leadership and triumph. The other side depicts his inauguration, symbolizing the transfer of power and the expectations of public happiness, with a kneeling figure seemingly swearing allegiance. Yet, this image obscures the complex dynamics of power, and the tensions simmering beneath the surface of imperial rule. Consider how such commemorative objects played a crucial role in shaping perceptions of authority and national identity during a period of profound social and political transformation.