Abstract

Bismarck’s resignation in 1890 was a caesura in German history. His death eight years later, on July 30, 1898, officially marked the end of an era. On August 13, 1898, the British magazine Punch commented on the passing of the former chancellor with this rendition of a medieval funeral procession. (This very same magazine had published the iconic caricature "Dropping the Pilot" on the occasion of his resignation, which is also included in this volume.) Representing the constituent states of the German Empire, the pallbearers below carry the knight who had unified Germany and set the country on its modern course.

The Death of Bismarck (1898)

Source

Source: Cartoon by Sir John Tenniel, Punch, August 13, 1898.
bpk-Bildagentur, image number 30013131. For rights inquiries, please contact Art Resource at requests@artres.com (North America) or bpk-Bildagentur at kontakt@bpk-bildagentur.de (for all other countries).