March 19, 2013

Lenin’s statue overshadows royal visit in Assen

Filed under: History by Orangemaster @ 12:45 pm

A 10-metre-high statue of ‘our friend’ Lenin has been adorning downtown Assen since last November, as promotion for the exhibition The Soviet Myth currently featured at the Drents Museum.

Now that the future king Willem-Alexander will be visiting Assen in late May, the statue is in the way, as it blocks a big part of downtown used for big events like the famous TT motor race. And let’s face it, Lenin has surely killed the buzz of many a party in the past so he can surely make himself scarce again for some royals. (Someone please notice all the historical references crammed into that one sentence).

A huge statue that apparently weighs 17,000 kilos has not only become a royal eyesore, but its placement has been controversial from day one. Responsible for the death of hundreds of thousands of people if not more, a ‘Stalin light’ if you will, having a statue of Lenin around is seen by many as just plain gross, although I do get the fascination factor. I wonder if any Dutch museum would do the same if Stalin or even Hitler were featured.

(Link: www.parool.nl, Photo of Lenin in Ukraine by covilha, some rights reserved)

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June 9, 2011

The Giant of Rotterdam honoured in statue

Filed under: General,Science,Weird by Orangemaster @ 9:47 pm

The life-size bronze statue of Rigardus Rijnhout, also known as ‘The Giant of Rotterdam’, was unveiled in Oude Westen, Rotterdam on June 6. The statue made by artist Herman Lamers also symbolises the growth of Rotterdam. We don’t have a pic (yet) and ironic that first you are made fun of, then get a statue to represent your city.

Born in Rotterdam in 1922 Rigardus Rijnhout died age 36 years in Leiden. The giant suffered both from acromegaly (a chronic metabolic disorder in which there is too much growth hormone) and pituitary tumor. He was 2,37 meters tall, weighed 230 kilos and his shoe size 62 (European size).

During his life time, Rigardus Rijnhout received a lot of attention and was often bullied because of his size. In this video you see him age 15, eating many sandwiches and the narrator saying that if Rijnhout raised his hand, he could reach the rooftop drain.

(Link: iamexpat.nl, thetallestman)

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November 25, 2008

Spinoza statue unveiled in Amsterdam

Filed under: Art,General,History by Orangemaster @ 12:04 pm
Spinoza

The unveiling of a very prominent statue of philosopher Baruch Spinoza in Amsterdam took place Monday, 24 November in the presence of the city’s mayor, Job Cohen. It has been placed on the Zwanenburgerwal near the Stopera (the city’s opera house), which is at the entrance of the former Jewish quarter where Spinoza grew up. The statue was crafted out of bronze by Nicolas Dings and the head was specifically made to match the one on the former 1000 gulder banknote.

Our very own roving reporter and photographer Branko Collin says that, “according to a radio item this morning, the symbols on the cloak – the roses, parakeets and sparrows – stand for Spinoza himself, immigrants (a reference to the parakeets in Vondelpark) and natives (sparrows are a diminishing breed).”

(Link: elsevier.nl, photo: Branko Collin)

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