European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - May 11, 1989, Darmstadt, Hesse Brussels Odd claim to Fame Story and photos by Malcolm Donahoo Maga Ine editor claims to i in be sir. Things. Take Brussels the so new hat scruffy belgian capital. What is its hell known Feal ref the glittering Square known As the f in French and lilt Grott a Iru in dutch in this bilingual Cit with its magnificent 15th-Century town Hall and ornate 17th-Century Guild houses or the atomism a huge Eye catching Structure built for the City s International exposition in 1958 no its major claim to Fame apparently is Hanneken Pis literally Little Man piste Small statue of ,1 naked boy piddling into a Basin. A visit to Maneki n Pis highlights am rav s morning tour of Brussels in route to London from West Germany. Alter a night on the bus the Stopover is a Welcome Opportunity to stretch eat breakfast snap a few photographs and buy a few souvenirs most of which feature the tinkling Tot. Not everyone on la Diciur bus thought to Exchange dollars for belgian francs Benoie leaving West Germany but that s i problem. Shopkeepers gleefully accept All sorts of currencies and plastic too. Nor did anyone encounter language difficulties English is widely spoken in Brussels. Brussels is known Lor its lace and tapestries and chocolates among other things but it is Hanneken Pis who dominates the shops. I be appears on to shirts posters and postcards. A stands on the Edge of ashtrays paperweights and pen and Pencil holders. There Are edible figurines in the windows of chocolate shops anal bakeries Large and Small copies of the statue Are everywhere in ceramics Metal and of course plastic. Fill it with water squeeze it and squirt a Friend suggests a Hanneken Pis the real thing left and fix imitations in the window of j Brussels shop. Delivery trucks in front of some of the old Guild houses that line the Edge of the grand place Square. Salesman. The figure seems to adorn every restaurant hotel and gift shop sign in sight. What makes Hanneken Pis so special the statue is of unspectacular proportions barely 2 feet tall. Ii is 170 years old but that s not much by european standards. The sculptor Jerome Duquesnoy never attained great Fame and his masterpiece is tucked away in a Corner at the intersection of iwo narrow Cobblestone streets with an Iron Fence to keep camera toting crowds at a respectful distance. Perhaps the legends of Hanneken Pis account for some of its Fame. One is that the statue honors a lad who used his natural extinguisher to douse a fire set by enemy soldiers says our guide. Peter Bruggemann. Another is that the statue was commissioned by a father whose Young son wandered off causing a citywide search and eventually was found on that same Street Corner doing exactly what the statue is doing. There arc several other versions. Then there Are the costumes hundreds of them that Hanneken Pis wears on Spei Ial occasions the uniform of an american Sailor for instance or a London Bobby. They Are displayed in the King s House one of the ornate buildings surrounding the Gram , just a Block away. Finally there Are limes when it s not water thai flows from Hanneken Pis. Once a year when Brewers Are in the spotlight it s Beer. And once a year in Honor of vintners wine streams rom the statue. Aides stationed inside the Iron fee pass cups of the fluids through the bars to passers by. Alas on the morning of our visit Hanneken Pis was a costumed and had run dry. A complacent Workman tinkered with the pipes. A Light schedule the midday ferry to Dover must be caught in Zeebrugge allows Loo Lille time for extensive exploration of the City but there Are various drive Bys and photo slops starting with the atomism in a Park North of the City Center. The Symbol of the atomic age is a molecule of Metal that stands 330 feet High tight of its nine circular segments connected by tubes House various displays a restaurant occupies the Topmost Ball. We pass the Royal Palace and its gardens the Church of our lady of sablon and countless monuments and Sites of historic significance so Many that they become a bit of a blur. Many of the attractions Are Dingy and in disrepair. Grime coals the column of Congress and the Tomb of the unknown Warrior for instance and Metal figures there Are rusted and cracked. We be barely touched on Brussels also known for its galleries and museums. But it has been an interesting Lour whetting the appetite for a longer return visit. The tourist information office in Brussels can provide English language brochures arrange for guided City hours and help with hotel arrangements. Write to Maison do Tounsie Rue Marche aug Horbock Wraa Marist 61,1000 Brussels Fitl. 02-512-3030may 11,1989 stripes Maga int 7
