Gezicht op de vroegere woning van de abt aan de binnenhof van de Abdij te Middelburg, 1894 after 1900

In 1894, the Gebroeders van Straaten made this photograph of the abbot's former residence at the Abbey in Middelburg. The image offers us a glimpse into the life of the abbey just before a major restoration. Look at the composition; the building dominates the frame, yet figures of children stand in the foreground, dwarfed by the scale of the architecture. The ladder leaning against the wall hints at ongoing maintenance, reflecting the constant negotiation between preserving the past and adapting to the present. Middelburg, with its rich religious history, would have been a significant site for such an institution. Abbeys held not only spiritual but also social and economic power. This image, therefore, captures a moment of transition, where the old structures meet the needs of a changing society. By consulting local archives, architectural records, and social histories, we can further understand the relationship between the abbey and the broader community it served. The meaning of this photograph lies not just in the visual representation, but in its complex socio-historical context.