Top 10 Facts about the Manneken Pis in Brussels

Top 10 Facts about the Manneken Pis in Brussels

Manneken Pis is a Dutch term meaning Little Pissing Man. This bronze statue is a fountain found in central Brussels.

The statue depicts a naked boy peeing into a fountain’s basin. Jerome Duquesnoy designed this statue and had it placed at the fountain in 1619.

You will be interested to know that the current statue is not the original. It is a replica that was made in 1965. The original one is in Brussels City Museum at the Grand Place.

This statue has a special meaning for the people of Brussels. It embodies their sense of humour and independent thoughts.

One can easily get to this statue as it only takes about five minutes from the Grand Place. It is at the junction of Rue du Chene and pedestrian Rue de I’Etuve.

Here are the top 10 facts about Manneken Pis that will intrigue you.

1. The statue started as a public fountain

By Jijuc – Wikimedia

The current location of the statue used to be a public fountain now turned into a famous landmark in the city.

This statue has been here since the 15^th century, this is according to a recorded administrative text. The fountain was used to distribute drinking water to people living in Brussels.

The fountain was made up of a column that poured water into a double rectangular basin of stone. One of the oldest representation of the statue is in a painting by Denis Van Alsoot.

This statue is made of Bronze and was commissioned in 1619.

2. Its first record was in the 14^th century

The Manneken Pis was designed circa 1388. It is considered to be one of the landmarks that are loved by people in Brussels.

The statue was originally symbolic to the people of Brussels receiving drinking water. It is 50 cm tall.

3. The statue survived several bombings

During its history, the statue faced several dangers. First was the bombardment of Brussels in 1695, the statue never suffered any damage.

The pipes in the statue and the fountain were however damaged. After the bombardment, the statue was placed back on its pedestals.

A bible verse was then inscribed above the head of the statue reading “the Lord placed me on a stone base and now I raise my head above my enemies”.

The fountain was also moved from the street to its current location. 

4. There is a local tale behind the statue

Photo by Myrabella – Wikimedia

As time passed, people forgot how the statue got there in the first place. They, therefore, came up with legend stories on its origin.

The most popular one was of how a little boy saved the town. The city was surrounded by enemies, they had put tons of gunpowder under the city.

This boy saw the burning fuse and peed on it. Another legend explains that the statue is a representation of Duke Godfrey III of Leuven.

He was kept in a basket in an oak tree and was encouraging the knights during the fight. His contribution to the fight was to pee on the heads of their enemies.

5. Manneken Pis wears different outfits

By Pbrundel – Wikimedia

The first outfit made for this statue was in 1698. This was when a governor gave the little statue its first tunic.

Today, the statue has more than 1,000 outfits. These costumes have been donated by different presidents that have visited Brussels.

To get a peek into his wardrobe, head over to the Musée de la Ville, in La Maison du Roi.

There is a published schedule that determines what the statue will be dressed like. This is done several times a week.

His costumes are reviewed by an association known as the Friends of Manneken Pis.

6. The statue’s first costume was in the 17^th century

By Jimmy Gilles – Wikimedia

The occasional use of costumes on this statue dates back to the 17^th century. Its oldest costume can be found on display at the City Museum.

By 1756, Manneken Pis had about five complete costumes. More was added between 1918 and 1940 totalling to more than 30 costumes.

By 2016, the statue had more than 950 costumes. The costume change on the statue is usually a colourful affair.  

7. There are other Manneken Pis

By Aw58 – Wikimedia

Although Brussels’ Manneken Pis is the best known, others do exist.

There is a debate on which statue is the oldest, the one in Brussels or the one in Geraardsbergen.

One can find similar statues in other Belgian cities like Koksijde, Hasselt, Ghent, and Bruges. The statue has a sister, yes you read that right.

Its female version is however not as famous.

8. This statue is historically symbolic to the city of Brussels

The whole fountain where Manneken Pis stands on is protected by railings. The previous fence which was installed in 1851, prevented access to water, the fountain was for decorative and symbolic purposes.

9. There have been several attempts to steal Manneken Pis

This statue has on several occasions been the subject of attempted thefts. Old tales alleged that the statue was removed in 1745 and found in the Flemish town of Geraardsbergen.

The first attempted theft was in 1747 by a group of French grenadiers stationed in Brussels. They were however defeated by the locals.

To express regret for what the soldiers did, the King of France Louis XV, offered a gentleman’s gown of brocade, embroidered with gold, to Manneken Pis.

10. The original statue was broken

Photo by Myrabella – Wikimedia

The statue was broken into 11 pieces but was luckily welded back together. This has been maintained to the present day.

There is a mark at the base of the statue that indicates the year it was restored.