The Manneken Pis van Westmeerbeek is a small statue in the formerly Belgian town of Westmeerbeek, municipality of Westerlo, and depicts a peeing boy. The statue stands on a triangular square where the Havedries meets the Hoogzand, connecting the two main streets of the town with each other.
The figurine is originally white in color and made of artificial concrete, symbolizing the Westmeerbeek artificial concrete industry.
History[]
In the 1930s, a copy of the Manneken Pis of Brussels was placed in Westmeerbeek to do justice to the village's nickname. The statue being a reference to Westmeerbeek's bond with Brussels, many Brusseloixes visiting the town as an remote retreat.
post doomsday legacy[]
After the Doomsday attack of late September 1983 and the following World War III, the statue, once a symbol of local identity, grew as a symbol of resistance and survival. The statue quickly became a welcoming sight to many of the refugees coming from Brussels and her surroundings, as a sign of familiarity and home yet so far and so remote. The statue has thus become a pilgrimage sight to those refugees and their descendents as to honour their survival and opportunities given by the locals of Westmeerbeek and the Land van Merode town council.
Gallery[]
.jpg "1960px-Westmeerbeek-Manneken Pis (8).jpg (1.28 MB)")
