Vooraanzicht van een schoolgebouw aan het Joseph Lebeau plein in Brussel, België before 1893

Römmler & Jonas captured this front view of a school building on Joseph Lebeau Square in Brussels, Belgium, using photography. The image invites us to consider the intersection of architecture, education, and societal values. Constructed in the late 19th or early 20th century, the building reflects a period of nation-building. Education became a tool for shaping a unified national identity. The architectural style, with its imposing facade, speaks to the importance placed on education, reflecting aspirations of progress and enlightenment. Look at the building’s symmetrical design, a physical manifestation of order and structure. Who was included, and who was excluded, from this vision of progress? Consider how the image, devoid of people, invites viewers to project their own experiences and expectations onto the space. This photograph captures a moment in time, asking us to reflect on the evolving role of educational institutions in shaping individual lives and collective futures.