Gezicht op Kaysersberg before 1894

Charles Bernhoeft captured this photograph of Kaysersberg in Alsace using a gelatin silver process, a technique that became widely available in the late 19th century. Bernhoeft's choice of medium reflects a shift in how landscapes were documented and perceived at the time. Photography offered a seemingly objective way to capture the world. But its rise also coincided with growing nationalistic sentiments and the desire to define and preserve cultural identities through visual records. Alsace, with its mixed Franco-German heritage, became a contested territory. Images such as this served as visual assertions of cultural ownership. They helped to construct and reinforce narratives about the region's identity. For a more complete understanding, one would need to consult archives and historical societies on both sides of the Rhine. The photograph reminds us that art is shaped by the complex interplay of social, political, and institutional forces.