Netherlands

Arnhem

The Duivelshuis, the "Devil's House," sits in Arnhem with a name born from local misinterpretation and a history of remarkable survival. Built in the 15th century as a city farm, it was originally a utilitarian structure serving Arnhem's needs. Then, in 1518, Duke Charles of Gelre purchased it for his own purposes. A man of power and status, Charles transformed the building according to his tastes and authority.

In 1539, the building was sold to Maarten van Rossum, a military commander of considerable renown. Van Rossum understood architecture as expression of power, and he initiated a renovation in 1543 that added a Renaissance gable, one of the earliest Renaissance architectural elements in the Netherlands. The gable was decorated with satyrs, mythological figures known for their mischievous, lustful, and chaotic nature. To the conservative citizens of 16th-century Arnhem, these pagan figures seemed devilish. The nickname "Duivelshuis" stuck, a name based on aesthetic disapproval masquerading as spiritual concern.

The building survived centuries of change. Since 1830, it has housed the offices of Arnhem's mayors, a civic building serving official functions. During World War II, the city experienced serious fighting, and many buildings were damaged or destroyed. The Duivelshuis was damaged but not obliterated. After the war, it was extensively renovated and restored, saving it from demolition and allowing it to continue serving the city.

Today, the Duivelshuis stands as a testament to Arnhem's persistence. It's not the oldest building in the city, nor the grandest, but it carries centuries of history in its walls and its name. The satyrs that once scandalized the pious still grin from the Renaissance gable, suggesting that what one era feared as demonic, another might simply recognize as human nature.

The Duivelshuis

The statue of Karel van Egmond (1492-1538), Duke of Guelders and Count of Zutphen, stands in Arnhem as a tribute to a man whose life embodied the complexity and tragedy of his age. Born in Arnhem or Grave and raised at the Burgundian court, Karel van Egmond inhabited the world of Renaissance politics, where power was constantly contested, alliances shifted, and territories were won and lost through warfare and intrigue.

The statue itself is carved from Belgian limestone by sculptor Gijs Jacobs van den Hof. The fundraising campaign to create it raised 1,108.50 guilders, a sum that speaks to popular support for commemorating this local hero. When it was unveiled, the statue became a focal point for local identity and pride, a physical reminder that Arnhem had produced someone of historical significance.

The statue's history includes a dramatic moment. On April 13, 1949, when the statue was officially unveiled at Jansplaats, it was still marked by the scars of recent war. The head of the statue had been badly damaged during the fighting of April 1945, when Arnhem was the site of intense combat during the liberation of the Netherlands. After the war, a new head was carved to replace the damaged original, restoring the statue to wholeness.

That restoration is itself a historical act. It speaks to the determination to recover history, to remember, to restore what was damaged by war. The statue of Karel van Egmond, with its replaced head and unwavering gaze, stands as a memorial not just to the Duke himself but to Arnhem's resilience in surviving destruction and choosing to rebuild its connections to its past.

The Statue of Karel van Egmond, Duke of Guelder

The Gele Rijder, the "Yellow Rider" or "Golden Rider," stands near Eusebius Church at Eusebiusplein in Arnhem as a bronze equestrian statue representing a medieval legend that has become part of the city's identity. According to the legend, a knight on a golden horse protected Arnhem from invaders, his golden armor symbolizing invincibility and divine favor. The legend carries a symbolic weight that transcends its historical accuracy: it speaks to the desire for protection, the hope that some force will preserve the city, the belief in exceptional individuals who can transcend ordinary limitations.

Whether the historical kernel of the legend contains truth is perhaps less important than what the legend has come to mean. In Arnhem, the Gele Rijder represents resilience, courage, and the city's will to protect itself. The statue, created by sculptor Jacobs van den Hof, captures the rider in dynamic motion, frozen at a moment of heroic action.

The Gele Rijder is free and open to all. There's no admission, no gatekeeping, no requirement to understand the legend before you can appreciate the sculpture. It stands in a public square, accessible to anyone who walks through Arnhem, a civic monument that belongs to everyone. The open-air setting means the statue is visible at all times, a constant presence in the city's landscape, weathered by centuries of wind and rain, yet still standing.

The statue connects Arnhem's medieval past with its contemporary identity. It reminds residents and visitors that cities are built on narratives, on stories told and retold, on legends that shape how people understand themselves and their place.

The Gele Rijder Statue

The lost history of Arneym - Karel van Gelre

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The lost history of Arneym - Karel van Gelre

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Explore 20 Arnhem landmarks: The best way to discover Arnhem

The Duivelshuis

The Statue of Karel van Egmond, Duke of Guelder

The Gele Rijder Statue

The Duivelshuis

The Statue of Karel van Egmond, Duke of Guelder

The Gele Rijder Statue

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