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Erasmus Statue

Erasmus Statue

Highlight • Monument

Erasmus Statue

Recommended by 78 hikers out of 85

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Location: Rotterdam, South Holland, Netherlands

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Best Hikes to Erasmus Statue

4.8

(9)

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1. Erasmusbrug Rotterdam – Oude Haven Rotterdam loop from Eendrachtsplein

8.66km

02:13

30m

Intermediate hike. Good fitness required. Easily-accessible paths. Suitable for all skill levels.

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Intermediate

4.6

(5)

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2. Erasmus Bridge – Markthal Rotterdam loop from Stadhuis

8.09km

02:04

30m

Intermediate hike. Good fitness required. Easily-accessible paths. Suitable for all skill levels.

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Intermediate

4.9

(9)

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3. Depot Boijmans Van Beuningen – Erasmusbrug Rotterdam loop from Leuvehaven

10.8km

02:45

40m

Intermediate hike. Good fitness required. Easily-accessible paths. Suitable for all skill levels.

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Intermediate

Tips

Gerard Potuijt 🚶‍♂️

March 10, 2021

The Erasmus statue is a statue of Desiderius Erasmus designed by sculptor Hendrick de Keyser. As far as is known, it is the oldest bronze statue in the Netherlands. The statue was built in 1622 by the Rotterdam bronze founder Jan Cornelisz. Ouderogge cast and placed on the Grotemarkt. The bronze statue's placement was criticized by Calvinist ministers who called Erasmus a libertine and a mocker of religion.

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Gerard Potuijt 🚶‍♂️

March 10, 2021

Trouble with the pedestal
In 1996, the statue was removed from its place because it had suddenly fallen forward. This was certainly not the first time that this had happened. The statue had been removed from its place for a while three times. According to notes by Jacob Lois, the statue was taken to the city carpentry house for repairs on 18 April 1674 "as if it wanted to fall down from above." It took some time before the problem was fixed, because elsewhere we read that Erasmus "was put back on the Grote Markt" on 22 April 1677. Another reason could be that the magistrate had to protect the statue from rebellious people. He had it removed from its pedestal and stored it in a warehouse for a while, until peace had returned. There is a legend that the city council of Basel tried to buy the statue. This was prevented by a few votes. When the "copper Erasmus" returned in 1677, new inscriptions were added to the pedestal, as they can still be read today. The text on the pedestal was adjusted once more. This change concerns Erasmus' year of birth. Nowadays, it is generally assumed that the year 1466 is correct, but from 1557 onwards, 1467 was written on the pedestal of the statue on the Grote Markt. It was not until 1950 that 1469 became the dominant possibility. The major international commemorations of Erasmus' birth were planned for 1969. In Rotterdam, it was decided in 1964 to change the year on the pedestal to 1469. This was corrected again in 1984, because 1467 seemed to be generally accepted by then.

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Gerard Potuijt 🚶‍♂️

March 10, 2021

first wooden statue

It was Erasmus, who was so averse to all outward show, that our ancestors put on the market. The statue of Erasmus is one of the first statues in Dutch history. Over the centuries, the various versions of this statue — five to be precise — have attracted many tourists. They came to Rotterdam especially for this. Just as there is uncertainty about the controversial year of Erasmus' birth (1466, 1467, 1469), there is also uncertainty about the year of the arrival of the first statue of Erasmus. Matthijs Bastiaensz, a bookseller and publisher of Erasmus translations in Rotterdam, mentions 1536. In a preface, he says that four years before Erasmus' death, administrators of the city of Basel sent a portrait statue carved from life to Rotterdam. Whether this is true is unclear. What is certain is that a wooden statue of Erasmus was made in 1549 to welcome Prince Philips. This wooden Erasmus had a welcoming poem in Latin in his hand. A schoolboy was hidden in the hollow statue and recited the poem aloud during Philips' visit.

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Elevation 50 m

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Friday 7 November

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Max wind speed: 5.0 km/h

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Location: Rotterdam, South Holland, Netherlands

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Erasmus Statue

1. Erasmusbrug Rotterdam – Oude Haven Rotterdam loop from Eendrachtsplein

2. Erasmus Bridge – Markthal Rotterdam loop from Stadhuis

3. Depot Boijmans Van Beuningen – Erasmusbrug Rotterdam loop from Leuvehaven

Other Popular Places to Check Out

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