De vrouwen van Weinsberg dragen hun mannen op de rug de stad uit before 1652

Zacharias Dolendo created this engraving titled "The Women of Weinsberg Carrying Their Husbands Out of the City on Their Backs" sometime between 1561 and 1604. The artwork illustrates a story from medieval Germany, highlighting themes of gender, loyalty, and survival during times of conflict. It depicts the women of Weinsberg carrying their husbands to safety on their backs, an act of devotion and clever negotiation with a conquering emperor who allowed them to leave with what they could carry. The image prompts us to think about women's roles in historical narratives. Were they passive victims or active agents of change? Here, the women negotiate terms that allow them to subvert expectations and save their loved ones. This challenges traditional representations of women and warfare, offering an alternative narrative of female agency and resistance. The emotional weight of the piece rests in the intimate connections forged in dire circumstances, blurring lines between the personal and the political.