Gedenknaald voor de verongelukte zeevaarders van de SMS Amazone, Invalidenpark, Berlijn 1868 - 1870

Here we see a photograph by Johann Friedrich Stiehm, capturing the memorial obelisk for the sailors of the SMS Amazone in Berlin’s Invalidenpark. The obelisk, with its roots in ancient Egyptian sun worship, symbolizes not just remembrance but also a connection between earthly life and the eternal. Consider the Washington Monument or even the ancient Roman obelisks repurposed as Christian symbols in the Vatican. It is a motif that resurfaces across civilizations, each time imbued with new layers of meaning. Such monuments tap into our collective memory. They serve as a stark, ever-present reminder of mortality, urging us to consider the ephemerality of life against the backdrop of history. The stoic posture of the figures in the photo evoke a sense of solemnity and introspection. It reflects the psychological weight of loss and the human need to monumentalize, to make permanent that which is inherently transient.