Monument of Leopold II in Ostend, Bronze equestrian monument on Royal Galleries, Ostend, Belgium
The monument depicts Leopold II in military dress mounted on horseback atop a stone column with a double-L base monogram. This sculptural composition was created in 1931 by artist Alfred Courtens and architect Antoine Courtens.
The monument was erected in 1931 as a portrayal of Leopold II as a benefactor of Ostend and Belgian Congo. It received protection status as a cultural landmark in 1981.
Locals call the monument De Drie Gapers, after the three passages of the Koninginnelaan bridge it stands against; the middle passage was closed on the sea side to carry the column. The right-hand bronze group shows the Ostend fishing population paying tribute, and the fisherman at the front of the ship is known as the strongest man of Ostend.
The monument occupies the middle of the three passages of the Drie Gapers, where the Koninginnelaan bridge meets the roof of the Royal Galleries on the Zeedijk. Approach it on foot along the seafront promenade; the statue faces the North Sea, so it is seen from the beach side and from the road behind.
In 2004, protesters removed one hand from the Congolese figure as a statement against colonial brutality. This act highlights how the monument remains contested today and embodies different understandings of history.
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