Het begin van de aanleg van de Fossa Eugeniana, 1626 1626

This is Wolfgang Kilian’s 1626 etching, “Het begin van de aanleg van de Fossa Eugeniana”, which depicts the commencement of the construction of the Fossa Eugeniana canal. The print offers a bird's-eye view of the landscape, detailing the strategic placement of fortifications and the layout of the canal. But, what does it mean for a landscape to be militarized and used for the purposes of power? The Fossa Eugeniana was more than just an engineering project; it was a symbol of power struggles, designed to connect the Rhine and Meuse rivers, thereby enhancing trade and military logistics for the Spanish. Kilian's detailed rendering invites us to reflect on how landscapes are not merely geographical entities, but are also stages upon which political dramas unfold. It makes me think about the human cost of such grand projects, the laborers whose toil made it possible, and the communities that were forever changed by its presence.