Jozef Geefs Gijsbert Karel van Hogendorp (1867)

The arrival of this image from Gijsbert Karel van Hogendorp was seen in 1867 as something very big. In the mid-19th century, the proponents of free trade - to be found in large numbers in Rotterdam - and protectionism fiercely opposed each other. Although the proponents of free trade were clearly winning, in 1863 - the year in which half a century of independence was celebrated - they wanted to defy their opponents by erecting a statue of statesman Gijsbert Karel van Hogendorp (1762-1834). He was 'Designer of our Constitution' and (especially) 'Supporter of Free Trade', as was stated on the pedestal at the unveiling by King William III in 1867. Van Hogendorp was born in Rotterdam. He revealed himself early on as a fierce Orange customer in the disputes between prince and patriots. After Stadholder William V resumed his authority in 1787 with the help of Prussian troops, Van Hogendorp became the pensioner of Rotterdam. In the French period (1795-1813) he did not hear much. After the departure of the French, he and Frans Adam van der Duyn van Maasdam (1771-1848) took over the General Board on 20 November 1813 in anticipation of the arrival of the prince, the eldest son of William V, from England, who was inaugurated on December 2 in Amsterdam as sovereign Prince William I. Van Hogendorp was involved in the drafting of the New Constitution, which strongly reverted to pre-1795 relationships. The king was able to gain almost all power. Van Hogendorp aspired for himself a post as a pensioner, a kind of prime minister with great powers. After the statue was completed by the Belgian sculptor Jozef Geefs, after a long search it turned out that there was only room behind the Schielandshuis (the then Boymans Museum), even though that was the furthest edge of the city at that time. During the war, the statue was transferred to the Boymans Museum for safety reasons and placed on the terrace. A small drama preceded the return of the statue after the liberation, because on 13 August 1945, in honor of the English Fleet, a statue of Schout-by-night Karel Doorman was placed on the pedestal of Van Hogendorp. This was a plaster clad carpentry by Adriaan van der Plas, who at the time should have delivered it in 14 days. After the closing of the fleet exhibition, the statue of Doorman remained on Van Hogendorp's pedestal until it was destroyed. On November 4, only the bits and pieces of Karel Doorman were found with the words: “If you want to honor your sailors, don't try to blame the artist.” On May 9, 1946, Van Hogendorp himself was placed on his pedestal again. Due to the construction of the garden of the Historical Museum, the statue had to be moved. In 1961, Van Hogendorp was placed at the rear of the platform at the entrance of the World Trade Center Rotterdam (WTC). In the 1980s the statue was placed towards the front of the platform. Gijsbert Karel van Hogendorp was thoroughly restored and placed back in its new location in front of the Beurstrappen in November 2023. On the occasion of the transfer, BKOR commissioned journalist and writer Frank van Dijl to produce the publication The statue, the man and the statue Gijsbert Karel van Hogendorp (2023).