Why Manneken Pis is not boring

This is supposed to be a national symbol of Belgium? A bronze boy barely 55 centimeters tall, peeing into a basin, hidden on a street corner that you might almost walk past if it weren’t for the crowds. Doesn’t Brussels have any other attractions? Many visitors push their way to the front, snap a photo, feel disappointed by its small size, and move on. One Australian travel journalist even called it the most disappointing monument in the world. But anyone who looks into the story behind the statue quickly realizes that this little urinating boy contains more history, humor, and absurdity than many grand monuments. Here are some facts that prove it.

Did you know?

• At only about 55 centimeters tall, Manneken Pis is hardly bigger than a toddler – yet he is considered the oldest citizen of Brussels. The bronze statue was created in 1619 by the Brussels sculptor Jérôme Duquesnoy the Elder.
• Originally, the little boy was not a work of art meant to be admired but part of the city’s water supply system. Local residents collected their drinking water from this fountain, so the stream of water served a purpose.
• A peeing boy had stood on the same corner long before 1619. The earliest written references date back to the 15th century, meaning the figure is even older than its official birth year suggests.
• The name simply means “little peeing man”. The nickname Petit Julien comes from a confusion made by historians in the 19th century with another nearby fountain.
• Over the centuries, the statue became a favorite target for thieves. In 1695 it had to be hidden from the bombardment ordered by Louis XIV. In 1745 it was looted by English troops, and in 1817 it was stolen by a former convict who broke it into eleven pieces during the theft. For this crime, he was sentenced to life at hard labor.
• What you see on the street corner today is not the original. After being stolen and damaged one time too many, the statue was replaced with a copy in 1965. The original is now safely displayed in the Brussels City Museum.
• Whether the museum’s statue is truly the original from 1619 remains a matter of debate among experts. Researchers at the University of Brussels have even examined the metal with X-rays because some suspect that the real original never reappeared after the 1817 theft.
• Two dates can still be seen on the pedestal today: 1620 for its creation and REST 1817 for the restoration following the major theft.
• In 1747, French soldiers also attempted to steal the statue. To calm the outraged citizens of Brussels, King Louis XV presented the little boy with a gold-embroidered suit, granted him the right to carry a sword, and knighted him in a royal order.
• That gift from Louis XV is the oldest surviving costume in the collection.
• Manneken Pis has a wardrobe that would make any pop star jealous: well over a thousand costumes. A costume donated by a Walloon rice tart brotherhood from Verviers became the collection’s 1,111th outfit in 2023.
• He is probably the only secular statue in the world with such an extensive wardrobe. On average, he is dressed in a new costume on about 130 days each year.
• Dressing him is serious business. There is an official dresser. Since his arms are attached to his body, his feet are fixed to the pedestal, and a water pipe runs through his back, dressing him is far more complicated than dressing an ordinary child. Every costume is first tested on a replica.
• Anyone wishing to donate a costume must comply with strict city regulations.
• Among the most unusual costumes are a glittering Elvis Presley outfit from 1978 and a Dracula costume from 1987 whose mask was specially molded to fit the statue’s face.
• The little boy has also appeared as Mickey Mouse, an astronaut, and Nelson Mandela. There has even been a woolen condom costume and a design created by fashion icon Jean-Paul Gaultier.
• The tradition of dressing Manneken Pis is centuries old. The first documented costume donation dates from 1698, and a painting from 1615 already shows the figure dressed in festive clothing.
• A large portion of the costumes can be seen at the GardeRobe MannekenPis Museum, which opened in 2017 and regularly displays around 150 outfits.
• On special holidays, water does not flow from the fountain. Instead, beer, wine, or even champagne may be served. At those moments, the little peeing boy briefly becomes the cheekiest bartender in the city.
• Manneken Pis is not alone. Nearby stand Jeanneke Pis, a peeing girl, and Zinneke Pis, a peeing dog.
• Brussels is not the only city with its own peeing mascot. The Flemish city of Geraardsbergen also has a Manneken Pis, and the two cities playfully argue over which one is older.

In the end, the little boy is above all the perfect expression of the uniquely Brussels sense of humor known as zwanze – self-deprecating, cheeky, and never too serious. Once you know that, you no longer see a disappointingly small statue on your next visit, but rather the city’s most cheerful joker – and you may even decide to stop by the costume museum next door.

Note: Not all dates and facts are beyond dispute. 😉