Statue Jip and Janneke disappeared from its pedestal from Zaltbommel | Inland

According to the municipality, the statue has been neatly unscrewed from the pedestal. No damage was done. For that reason, Zaltbommel waits for a while “to see if they get home safely.” If it takes too long for the pair to turn up again, the municipality will still file a report.

Zaltbommel is the birthplace of illustrator Fiep Westendorp, who gave shape to the figures of Jip and Janneke. Since 1992, a statue of the children invented by Annie MG Schmidt who walk their dog Takkie has stood in the Gelderland town. Westendorp and Schmidt themselves unveiled the statue at the time.

The image also disappeared once in 2007 as a New Year’s Eve stunt. Zaltbommel then got the image back after the turn of the year. Jip and Janneke were discredited last month when a Utrecht PvdA politician advocated removing the booklets from the library, because they were too stereotypical and role-affirming.

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