Gezicht op het Berliner Stadtschloss 1868 - 1870

This is a stereo card featuring the Berliner Stadtschloss, created by Johann Friedrich Stiehm in the late 19th century. These cards were a popular form of entertainment, offering a three-dimensional view of the world, but they also served to reinforce social hierarchies. The Berliner Stadtschloss, or Berlin City Palace, was not just a building; it was a symbol of power, a stage upon which the drama of Prussian royalty played out. It represents the ruling class and their dominance, while obscuring the labor and lives of the working class who built and maintained it. The absence of people in Stiehm’s photograph, save for a few distant figures, is striking. The vast empty square emphasizes the power of the palace itself. Consider how photography, even in its early days, could be used to shape perceptions and reinforce societal structures. These images weren't neutral; they were carefully constructed narratives. What stories do they tell, and whose voices are left out?