From Bayeux to the Bastille: The fortress key as a sign of peace and revolution

When the Bastille was stormed by the citizens of Paris on 14 July 1789, La Fayette, the commander of the National Guard, was given the key to the fortress. A reproduction of the key was displayed in the exhibition “What is Enlightenment? Questions for the 18th Century” and other fortress keys are in the collection of the Deutsches Historisches Museum. Sven Lüken, head of the DHM’s Militaria collection, explains the historical significance of these objects.