Schouwburg van den oorlog (blad XXXIV), ca. 1705-1710 Possibly 1705 - 1722

Pieter Schenk created this print titled 'Schouwburg van den oorlog' around 1705-1710. At first glance, it looks like a dry, administrative document, but consider the period in which it was made: a time of immense shifts in power, cultural identity, and national borders. Schenk's detailed depiction of heraldic symbols alongside a map of the Germanic regions offers a fascinating window into the social and political structures of the early 18th century. But whose stories are privileged here, and whose are left out? The emphasis on noble lineage and territorial claims speaks volumes about the hierarchies of the era. This print invites us to reflect on how maps and symbols have historically been used to both define and divide, to legitimize power and create a sense of belonging—or exclusion. How do these symbols resonate, or clash, with our contemporary understandings of identity and nationhood?