Ingang van borg Nienoord te Leek 1897

This photograph, titled *Ingang van borg Nienoord te Leek*, was created by an anonymous photographer to document the entrance of Nienoord Castle in Leek. It’s a seemingly simple image, yet it speaks volumes about history, preservation, and the stories embedded in architecture. Consider for a moment the role of “Monumentenzorg,” which translates to ‘monument care’. This is preservation as an act of cultural memory, but also as an act of power. What stories do we choose to preserve, and whose histories are etched into the stones of these monuments? The bricks themselves tell a story, of labor, of local materials, and of the hands that built this structure. This photograph captures not just a building, but a moment in time. It reminds us that the past is always present, shaping our understanding of the world around us. It invites us to reflect on what we choose to remember and what we leave behind.