Park Rheinanlagen in Koblenz 1880

Anselm Schmitz made this stereoscopic photograph of the Rheinanlagen park in Koblenz, Germany, likely in the late 19th century. Stereoscopic photography was a popular medium that provided viewers with a 3D experience. This image invites us to consider the social and cultural values attached to public spaces at the time. Parks like Rheinanlagen were designed as spaces for leisure, civic engagement, and the display of social order. The statues, manicured greenery, and benches, all point to the values of the German upper-middle class. The bridge in the background is not accidental. The new steel constructions were symbols of modernity and progress and demonstrated the possibilities of the industrial age. By studying photographs like this, alongside city planning documents, newspapers, and personal accounts, we can gain a deeper understanding of the social life and cultural values of 19th-century Germany.