Restoration of Napoleon Statues at Steenenburg Estate Begins

With the removal of ten of the 25 Napoleon statues from the pond at the Steenenburg Estate in Nieuwkuijk on Monday, March 23, the renovation of the artwork “The Battle of Waterloo” has truly begun. The area surrounding the pond will also be refurbished in the coming months.

The initiative for this project comes from Jan Kelders, founder of the Steenenburg Estate, and Dirk Lips, director of Libéma, which owns Steenenburg Castle. In consultation with Alderman Martijn van Esch of the municipality of Heusden, they decided to restore the striking “soldiers of Napoleon” together with volunteers from the local history society and senior citizens from the municipality of Heusden. 

Volunteers
The figures, weighing between 1,000 and 1,500 kilograms figures were lifted out of the water using a crane. They were then transported to the space where they will be restored by volunteers. After the renovation, they will return to their place in the pond, after which the next section will be removed from the water for restoration. It is not known how long this will take.

The statues, a former fountain from the brief but colorful period of Het Land van Ooit, depict Napoleon’s soldiers slowly disappearing into the water. It is a playful, striking reference to both the park’s fantasy world and the historical French presence in the region.