Human Rights Monument, obelisk in Brussels, Belgium
The Human Rights Monument is a 12-metre-high obelisk in Tour & Taxis Park, Brussels, built from thirty rectangular stone blocks in horizontal courses. The blocks vary in colour, from a dark near-black band at the base through beige, tan, reddish-brown, grey, green and pale pink to lighter shades at the flat top. Each block is inscribed with an article of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in French, Dutch, German and English. The obelisk stands among trees, surrounded by a circle of Scots pines.
The monument was inaugurated in 2018 to mark the 70th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and unveiled on December 10. This date was chosen because it commemorates when the declaration was adopted in 1948.
The monument bears the 30 articles of the Human Rights Declaration carved in four languages into its stone. This multilingual design reflects the idea that fundamental rights apply equally to all people, regardless of where they live or what language they speak.
The monument is located in Tour & Taxis, an accessible public area with nearby paths and benches. Visitors can take time to read the inscriptions and reflect in the relatively quiet surroundings.
The obelisk is made of thirty stone blocks, one for each article of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, each inscribed in French, Dutch, German and English. The colours run from a near-black base band to pale pink and beige at the flat top. It stands inside a circle of Scots pines in Tour & Taxis Park.
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