Social Settlements: Germany. Hamburg. Volksheim: Volksheim, Hamburg, Germany.: Club Room. c. 1903

Editor: This photograph, "Social Settlements: Germany. Hamburg. Volksheim: Volksheim, Hamburg, Germany: Club Room" by G. Koppmann & Co., feels so…stark. The bareness of the room makes me wonder, what kind of social interactions happened here? What do you see in this image? Curator: It’s a haunting stillness, isn’t it? The photo whispers of socialist ideals, but I can't help but imagine what gatherings occurred within those walls. Did they solve the world's problems over endless cups of coffee? Was it more like a stage set for a Brechtian drama? Editor: A Brechtian drama, wow. So, the room wasn't always empty then? Curator: Perhaps it's always empty; it depends how you look at it. Perhaps it is always full of ghosts, of aspirations, of dreams deferred. What do you think? Editor: I see a room of possibilities, filled with the weight of history, and maybe a little hope too.