Schade aan het Erasmiaans Gymnasium te Rotterdam c. 1940 - 1945

Editor: This gelatin-silver print by J. Nolte, titled *Schade aan het Erasmiaans Gymnasium te Rotterdam*, dates from around 1940 to 1945. It's a striking image of devastation, with a bombed-out building as its subject. How do you interpret this work? Curator: It's more than just a picture of destruction; it's a powerful commentary on the impact of war on education and culture. What do you notice about the architecture of the gymnasium itself? Editor: The building looks solid, classical even, but gutted. The windows are empty sockets. It feels like a violation of something sacred. Curator: Precisely. And that's the key. Gymnasiums, like universities, represent centers of learning, places where ideas are nurtured. This image becomes a potent symbol of the systematic dismantling of intellectual life under conflict. How does situating it within that historical context shape your understanding? Editor: It shifts my focus from the immediate destruction to the long-term implications for society and its future. It speaks to cultural erasure. Curator: Exactly. It reminds us to challenge the power structures that create such destruction. Are there any contemporary events that this photo brings to mind? Editor: Seeing the obliteration of learning institutions makes me think of current global conflicts and the destruction of cultural heritage sites. Curator: Absolutely. And it challenges us to ask: whose stories are being erased, and whose voices are being silenced? This photo urges us to act against the forces that threaten education and culture, both then and now. Editor: I'll definitely look at similar images of war differently from now on. Thanks for the insightful perspective. Curator: My pleasure. It's through these dialogues that we keep history alive and relevant.