The statue was commissioned by the Amsterdam Contact Group of Women's Organisations in 1964. The money was provided by the population of Amsterdam.
The initial commission envisaged an effigy of the queen seated behind a microphone, addressing the Dutch people on the wartime Radio Oranje programme of the BBC European Service, symbolising Wilhelmina's status as "war queen". Theresia van der Pant was not enthusiastic about this idea, arguing that several recent statues portrayed the elder, plucky Wilhelmina, such as Charlotte van Pallandt's in Rotterdam.[1] Also, Van der Pant was most experienced sculpting animals. She therefore decided on a statue of the younger queen, riding horseback. Wilhelmina's daughter Queen Juliana assisted Van der Pant, suggesting what clothes Wilhelmina should wear.[1]
At first Damrak street was considered as the location for the statue. Because the sculpture turned out larger than expected, and it was not intended as a place of remembrance and therefore could possibly clash with the National Monument on nearby Dam Square, it was unveiled on Rokin street in 1972.[1]
The Damrak is an avenue and partially filled in canal at the centre of Amsterdam, The Netherlands, running between Amsterdam Centraal in the north and Dam Square in the south. It is the main street where people arriving at the station enter the centre of the city. Also, it is one of the two GVB tram routes from the station into the centre, with lines 4, 9, 16, and 25 running down it. It is also on the route of the North/South Line being constructed between the existing metro station at Centraal Station and the new Rokin station.
Van der Valk is a British television crime drama series produced for the ITV network by Thames Television. It ran from 1972 to 1992, with the first three series produced between 1972 and 1977, and two more being commissioned in 1991 and 1992.
The Rokin is a canal and major street in the centre of Amsterdam. The street runs from Muntplein square to Dam square. The Rokin canal used to run from Muntplein square to Dam Square, but in 1936, the part between Spui square and Dam Square was filled in. Canal boats are now moored on the remaining part of the water, from the Amstel to Grimburgwal.
Mari Silverster Andriessen was a Dutch sculptor, best known for his work memorializing victims of the Holocaust. Born and died in Haarlem, Andriessen is buried at the RK Begraafplaats Sint Adelberts in Bloemendaal, the Netherlands.
The Spui is a square in the centre of Amsterdam, the capital of the Netherlands.
The Jodenbreestraat is a street in the centre of Amsterdam, which connects the Sint Antoniesluis sluice gates to the Mr. Visserplein traffic circle. North of the sluice gates, the street continues on to Nieuwmarkt square as the Sint Antoniesbreestraat. The Mozes en Aäronkerk church stands at the southern end of the street. Directly behind the Jodenbreestraat is Waterlooplein square with its daily flea market.
The Stadsschouwburgof Amsterdam is the name of a theatre building at the Leidseplein in Amsterdam, Netherlands. The building is in the neo-Renaissance style dating back to 1894, and is the former home of the National Ballet and Opera.
The Muntplein is a square in the centre of Amsterdam. The square is in fact a bridge — the widest bridge in Amsterdam — that crosses the Singel canal at the point where it flows into the Amstel river. All bridges in Amsterdam are numbered, and the Muntplein carries the number 1.
The Diamantbuurt is a neighborhood of Amsterdam, The Netherlands. It was built in the 1930s. It has streets named after precious stones: Diamantstraat, Robijnstraat, Saffierstraat, Smaragdstraat, Topaasstraat and Granaatstraat. These days the Diamantbuurt includes the area enclosed by the Tweede van der Helststraat, Karel du Jardinstraat, Henrick de Keijserplein, Tolstraat, Amstel and Amstelkanaal. It has many special buildings and monuments, like social housing in the Amsterdam School style of architecture.
The Jodenbuurt is a neighbourhood of Amsterdam, Netherlands. For centuries before World War II, it was the center of the Dutch Jews of Amsterdam — hence, its name. It is best known as the birthplace of Baruch Spinoza, the home of Rembrandt, and the Jewish ghetto of Nazi occupation of the Netherlands.
Oostelijke Eilanden, also known as Oostelijke Eilanden en Kadijken, is a neighbourhood in the centre of Amsterdam, Netherlands, consisting of Kattenburg, Wittenburg and Oostenburg.
Overtoomse Veld is a neighborhood of Amsterdam, Netherlands. It is named for the Overtoomse Sluis, which was an old portage point dating from the 14th century on a major cargo route to and from Amsterdam at the junction of two waterschap areas, Hoogheemraadschap van Rijnland and Hoogheemraadschap van Amstelland.
The Huis aan de Drie Grachten or Huis op de Drie Grachten is a 17th-century canal house in Amsterdam, at the southeastern end of the Wallen district. The name is a reference to the fact that the building faces three different Amsterdam canals. The south facade faces Grimburgwal, the west facade faces Oudezijds Voorburgwal and the east facade faces Oudezijds Achterburgwal. The address is Oudezijds Voorburgwal 249.
The Rokin Plaza is a large retail complex south of the Dam in Amsterdam which used to be an office building. The name refers to the Rokin canal on which the building sits.
Arti et Amicitiae is a Dutch artist's society founded in 1839, and located on the Rokin in Amsterdam. The Society has played a key role in the Netherlands art scene and in particular in the Amsterdam art schools. It was and is to this day a hub for artists and art lovers in the city of Amsterdam. It is a private institution which supports artists, maintains social networks and offers a pension fund. In recent times it has been one of the venues for the 17th edition of the Sonic Acts Festival.
Theresia Reiniera van der Pant was a Dutch sculptor. Examples of her work include the Equestrian statue of Queen Wilhelmina, which stands on Rokin street in Amsterdam.
Madame Tussauds Amsterdam is a wax museum situated in Amsterdam, the capital city of the Netherlands. It is located in the centre of the city on Dam Square, near the Royal Palace of Amsterdam. Founded in 1970, it was the first Madame Tussauds that was opened in mainland Europe as well as being the first foreign branch of the British institution. The collection of Madame Tussauds Amsterdam consists of a collection of wax figures of famous celebrities in different categories such as the Golden Age of Dutch history, music, sport and film.
The Grimburgwal is a small canal and street in the center of Amsterdam.
Geertruida Catharina Theresia Maria "Truus" Smulders-Beliën was a Dutch politician and teacher who was the mayor of Oost-, West- en Middelbeers in North Brabant from 1946 to 1966. The first female mayor in the Netherlands, she succeeded her husband Jan Smulders after he was executed by Nazi soldiers.
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