Drie Duitse soldaten op een terras 1941 - 1942

This photograph, titled ‘Three German Soldiers on a Terrace’, lives in the Rijksmuseum. It’s a black and white image, likely taken with a small camera, showing three soldiers sitting at tables on a terrace. Looking at this image, I start to wonder about the anonymous artist—what were they thinking when they pressed the shutter? Were they trying to capture a sense of everyday life amidst conflict, or perhaps something more personal? The composition is simple but reveals so much. The soldiers are the main subjects, but the setting, with its wicker chairs and checkered tablecloths, hints at a strange normalcy. How many images like this exist in the world, tucked away in albums or archives, quietly telling their stories? This photograph feels like a fragment of a larger narrative, inviting us to fill in the gaps with our own interpretations. It reminds us that every image, no matter how small or seemingly insignificant, holds a piece of history, inviting contemplation.