This mass-produced print is entitled Der Schmied der deutschen Einheit [The Blacksmith of German Unity]. It is based on an 1866 painting, since destroyed, by Guido Schmidt (1834–1922). It combines stock elements that appeared in countless allegories celebrating Bismarck’s role in German unification—the German chancellor, for example, is dressed in a blacksmith’s apron, whereas the figure of Germania is clad in armor. Like so many other images of its kind, the print captures the moment when the newly forged sword of unity is passed, like a torch, from one to the other.