Jantje Statue & Story
Curious about the bronze statue of a boy near the Hofvijver and why he is pointing his gold finger toward the Binnenhof? Read on to find out about the Dutch ‘Jantje’…
Next to the Hofvijver (pond) in The Hague city center is a bronze statue of a young boy on a pedestal. On his arm he is carrying a basket while on his head is a hat with a large feather. His hand is outstretched, and he is pointing toward the Binnenhof (Parliament) building.
The statue is called ‘Jantje‘ which means ‘little John‘ in Dutch. And the particular Jantje the statue relates to is John I, Count of Holland who died in 1299 at the age of 15 years old. He was the son of Floris V, Count of Holland, the aristocrat who first built on land in The Hague where the Binnenhof (Dutch Parliament building) stands today.
There is an old Dutch folk song about The Hague which makes reference to the little Dutch boy who inspired the statue. It says if you ask Jantje where his daddy lives, he will point with his little finger.
The real Jan (John) was born in 1284 and raised in England (in the court of King Edward I). In 1296, his father Count Floris V was murdered and John was bestowed the title Count of Holland. A year later, at age 13, he married King Edward’s daughter, Eleanor of Castille.
In 1298 young Jan moved from England to North Holland to firmly establish his elevated position. But less than a year later he died in the city of Haarlem. The cause of death was recorded as dysentery, but many suspected he was poisoned by the same people involved in his father’s murder. Since he had no children at the time of his death, and all of his male siblings had died at early ages, the county of Holland passed to his father’s cousins and the House of Hainaut.
The Jantje sculpture was created in 1976 by artist Ivo Coljé. Made of bronze, it sits atop a stone column base. A short curved stone wall was recently installed which enhances the statue’s presence. Etched into the wall are the words of the Haags Jantje song.
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