MANNEKEN PIS

Description

Essentials about Manneken Pis in brief

Together with the Atomium, Manneken Pis is the most important landmark in Brussels and undoubtedly one of the most extraordinary of its kind in the world. Namely, it is the fountain figure of a boy letting water (in Brabant “Manneken Pis”). The bronze statue, only 61 centimeters tall, is located on the corner of Rue de l’Etuve, Rue des Grands Carmes and Rue du Chêne, not far from the central Grand Place. Every day, crowds of tourists throng in front of the statue of Manneken Pis, which, by the way, can be seen many days a year in one of its nearly 1,000 costumes.

The history of Manneken Pis

The 61-centimeter-high bronze statue was created in 1619 by Brussels sculptor Jérôme Duquesnoy. The motif of the water-letting boy as fun had been known in the Duchy of Brabant for centuries at that time. A text from 1388 in the archives of the Brussels Cathedral of St. Michael and St. Gudula already mentions a small stone statue called “Julianekensborre” on a fountain at the corner of Rue de l’Etuve and Rue du Chêne. At that time in Brussels existed a lot of such fountains, which supplied the city with drinking water. The name “Manneken Pis” first appeared around 1450 in texts from the Brussels City Archives.

The later bronze figure was repeatedly stolen and severely damaged. Thus, in 1817 the statue was found broken into 11 pieces and in 1996 only the sawed-off feet were left on the pedestal (only days later Manneken Pis could be fished out of a canal). For safety reasons, the current statue is therefore a copy from 1965, and the original is kept in the City Museum in the Maison du Roi on Grand Place. In addition, Manneken Pis is monitored by cameras and screened by a wrought-iron grille.

Since 1985, in the spirit of equality, Manneken Pis has had a female counterpart named Jeanneke Pis and since 1998, even a four-legged canine counterpart named Zinneke Pis.

The costumes of Manneken Pis

On many days, Manneken Pis can be seen not as a naked man, but in one of his costumes – and there are quite a few of them. Manneken Pis owns no less than 1,000 costumes. For example, on days when the Belgian national soccer team is playing a game, the little man poses in a “Red Devils” jersey. On the birthdays of music legends such as Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart or Elvis Presley, Manneken Pis can also be seen in a corresponding outfit. And on World AIDS Day, the mannequin is stocked with condoms.

The costuming of Manneken Pis dates back to 1698, when the then Habsburg governor general of the Spanish Netherlands, Maximilian II. Emanuel, established the tradition. At the beginning of 2017, a few meters from the fountain opened the new museum GardeRobe MannekenPis, which displays about 130 of the costumes of Manneken Pis.

By the way, it is possible to give Manneken Pis a new costume. Anyone who wishes to do so can submit a request to the Council of Mayors and Aldermen of the City of Brussels. A commission then checks the compatibility of the costume with rules that prohibit, for example, the disguise for political, religious or commercial purposes. Manneken Pis also keeps receiving new costumes as diplomatic gifts. The international ranking of donor countries is led by Japan, with 18 costumes presented.

The legends around Manneken Pis

Due to the age and the peculiarity of Manneken Pis, it is no wonder that many legends surround the creation of the little man. According to one legend, the little boy Julianske served as a model for Manneken Pis. Julianske is said to have overheard enemy besiegers of Brussels and extinguished a bomb intended for Grand Place at the right moment with his jet of water.

According to another legend, a little boy was lost in the center of Brussels. His mother then launched a large-scale search operation. The boy was eventually found urinating on a street corner.

The significance of Manneken Pis

Today, Manneken Pis no longer stands merely as a symbol for Brussels and Belgium, a fact that is repeatedly addressed by exhibitions. The statue in the center of the “political capital” of the European Union is also seen as a symbol of freedom of expression, spirit of resistance and democratic values. This was most recently demonstrated in 2016 after the terrorist attacks in Brussels on March 22, 2016. Images were immediately circulated on social networks showing the Manneken urinating on the terrorists.