Ruïne van de Laurenskerk te Rotterdam c. 1940 - 1945

This is J. Nolte's photograph of the ruined Laurenskerk in Rotterdam, and it's a poignant snapshot frozen in time. The devastation of war is evident in the skeletal remains of this once grand church. There is something somber about it, yet it’s also a testament to resilience and the enduring power of the human spirit. I can only imagine Nolte standing before this scene, capturing the rawness and the fragility of that moment. The monochrome palette lends a timeless quality, emphasizing the textures of the rubble, the broken facade, and the skeletal frame reaching towards the sky. In the wreckage, there is something beautiful, a kind of rebirth and reimagining. We can rebuild, we can rise, and we can start again. Nolte reminds us that even in the face of destruction, there is always hope for renewal.