Monument voor Cornelis en Frederik de Houtman, Memorial in Gouda, the Netherlands
The Monument voor Cornelis en Frederik de Houtman is a memorial column in Houtmanplantsoen park in Gouda, the Netherlands. It stands on a square base with four steps, decorated with carvings of a globe, a map, and a telescope, and is framed by four small round pillars connected by iron chains.
The memorial was unveiled in 1880 to honor the two brothers who led the first Dutch expedition to Indonesia, setting sail in 1595 and returning in 1597. Their voyage encouraged a series of later Dutch expeditions that shaped trade with Asia for centuries.
The monument stands in Houtmanplantsoen, a small park laid out in the 19th century on the site of the old city walls. The park has winding paths and old trees, and people often walk through it on their way to the nearby river.
The memorial is freely accessible and sits in a small park with walking paths and a nearby bridge. Walking around the column gives a clear view of the carved details and the Dutch inscription on the front.
In 2011, copper thieves removed the bronze elements from the top of the monument, leaving only the base and the ship hulls. The hull carvings still carry the names of the ships used on the 1595 voyage, making them a rare surviving detail of the original work.
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