The legitimate
state

Nation states often use the same set of official symbols to emphasise their authority: the flag, the national anthem, the coat of arms. These symbols give the impersonal ‘state’ something tangible and concrete.

In the aftermath of the First World War, American President Woodrow Wilson advocated for the right for ‘self-determination of peoples’. Still, it was not until after the Second World War that colonised territories in Africa and Asia finally gained independence. Only then did modern nation states become the global standard. The borders of these new nation states had often been designed by a former coloniser. To confirm their legitimacy, these new states also used the now common state symbols.

The form or style of a national symbol often communicates a specific image of the nation. That form is rarely determined by a single decision, however. It is often influenced by chance, opportunism, or conflicting political interests. Official approval are states’ way of codifying a national symbol. But even then, disputes about its meaning can flare up at any moment.

Everyday authority

Jan Banning’s photographs show the state in its most day-to-day form: a local civil servant at their desk, which is sometimes messy and sometimes tidy. Official national symbols, such as flags or presidential portraits, appear casually in the background. Here, the focus remains on the everyday bureaucracy that keeps the state running.

Flag dispute

The flag is the ultimate national symbol. Consequently, many countries have a history of flag disputes. Different flags, representing different political ideals of the nation, compete for recognition. Even officially recognised flags do not hold the same meanings for every citizen. Paradoxically, this partly explains the success of the nation state model. After all, many different people can identify with the nation in their own way.

National museum, national monument

Whoever wants to raise ‘national consciousness’ must first define what counts as national culture. This often translates into an obsession with ‘heritage’. The places, buildings and objects that make the national character tangible are marked and placed on a pedestal. From the 19th century onwards, national museums became an increasingly important venue for this. They often combined very diverse styles and historical events into a single national culture. Many post-colonial states also built national monuments and museums in the 20th century, as a confirmation of their own identity.

House of parliament

An important philosophy underpinning the nation state is the idea of popular sovereignty: states govern (in theory) on behalf of ‘the people’. National parliament buildings are symbolic expressions of this. The architectural style of these parliaments therefore reveals a great deal about prevailing views of the nation. Many 19th-century parliament buildings, for example, referred to a glorious medieval or classical past. In the 20th century, some states, such as Brazil, opted for an explicitly modernist style to emphasise their progressiveness.

Diplomatic gift

The diplomatic gifts you see here were intended for representatives of the GDR (German Democratic Republic). This East German state was seen as a puppet of the Soviet Union and a pawn in the Cold War. Diplomatic gifts confirm the symbolic legitimacy of the state: in this case, both that of the GDR and that of the countries which gave the gifts.

Symbol of recognition

There is no definite consensus as to which groups of people can officially be considered ‘nations’. Consequently, there are nationalist movements without their own state, official regions that consider themselves proper nations, or states without formal recognition. For many modern independence movements, national symbols are a source of legitimacy and recognition. After all, the nation still embodies the ultimate authority.