Troepen van Civilis bestormen de Romeinse vesting te Xanten, 69-70 19th century

This small print depicts the Batavian troops storming a Roman fortress in Xanten around 69-70 AD, and was likely made in the Netherlands. The image evokes a sense of national pride through its depiction of the Batavian revolt against the Roman Empire. Prints like this gained popularity in the 19th century, when a new sense of nationalism led people to revisit their own cultural history. The cultural and political elites wanted to create a shared sense of identity by choosing events in the past that could be sources of collective pride. The artist is unknown, but the existence of the print suggests it resonated with the contemporary public, who may have seen parallels between their own struggle for independence and that of the Batavians. As historians, we can delve deeper into the social and cultural context of this print by studying the history of Dutch nationalism, the role of visual culture in shaping national identity, and the ways in which historical events are interpreted and reinterpreted over time.