Life — September 15, 1898 — page 19: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This satirical illustration mourns Otto von Bismarck's death, likely from 1898. The central female figure represents Germany or perhaps "Germania" (the German nation personified), dressed in mourning clothes and standing before a tomb decorated with skulls—symbolizing the death and destruction Bismarck caused. In the background, military forces and what appears to be warfare continue, suggesting that Bismarck's legacy of militarism and conflict persists beyond his death. The cartoonist presents an ironic "funeral"—the skulls frame the tomb as a monument to the human cost of Bismarck's aggressive policies and wars. The subtitle "Our Wreath" indicates this is *Life* magazine's commentary on his passing, treating his death as significant to American readers while criticizing his militaristic impact on European politics.