Eerste eeuwfeest van de stichting van het Lutherse diaconieweeshuis te Amsterdam, penning aan de weeskinderen uitgedeeld 1778

Carel Frederik Konsé created this silver commemorative medal in 1778 to celebrate the centennial of Amsterdam’s Lutheran Diaconal Orphanage. This medal offers us insight into the social and religious values of the late 18th century. On one side, the orphanage building stands as a symbol of institutional care. The reverse depicts a maternal figure surrounded by children, evoking notions of charity, protection and religious duty. Orphanages like this served as crucial, yet also controlling spaces. Often, they reinforced societal norms and expectations of the children, shaping their identities. These children, marginalized and vulnerable, were given this medal as a token of belonging, yet also as a reminder of their dependence on institutional benevolence. This medal, distributed amongst the orphaned children, represents the complex interplay of care, control and identity formation during the Age of Enlightenment.