Wageningen Liberation Monument

Here's a strange story. I'm not sure whether or not it's a joke. Supposedly the Dutch village of Wageningen commissioned the construction of a war memorial shaped like "a giant copper obelisk that rises and falls depending on the level of sunlight, and spurts flames out of the top during important festivals." Only after they built it did they realize it looked exactly like a giant penis and hastily decided to scrap it. There are two reasons I'm skeptical about this. First, the source is listed as Ananova. Second, there already is a National Liberation Monument war memorial in Wageningen that's been there since the 1950s.

History Places Sex/Romance

Posted on Thu Mar 31, 2005


Comments

I don't know if it's true but I tend to think it isn't. Of all places, the Netherlands is the lest likely country to scrap a monument just because it looks like a penis.
Posted by Enrique  on  Thu Mar 31, 2005  at  11:00 PM
Wow, dead on midnight where I am, EnMole.
Posted by Rod  on  Thu Mar 31, 2005  at  11:15 PM
No joke!
And btw we allready have a giant penis in Amsterdam on "de Dam" which is our nation monument for the fallen in WW-II.
Wageningen is in the south of the Netherlands which is below the rivers" and is katholic. So any form of obelisk would give problems since religious people see penises everywere.
There is however something else goin on right now that is much more interesting.
If everything goes right tomorrow the world will see it
Posted by Beasjt  on  Fri Apr 01, 2005  at  12:13 AM
Unbelievable, but yes it's true. I live in Ede, a town near Wageningen. The news has been circulating in the national newspapers. In the nineties there has been a statue/fountain of a somewhat fat man with an erection. It stood on a town square. Art has no boundaries
Posted by Tychikus  on  Fri Apr 01, 2005  at  12:13 AM
Ah, to be a religious Dutch woman!

Take that however you want.

Freaks.
Posted by Rod  on  Fri Apr 01, 2005  at  12:23 AM
EVERY day is April Fool's Day on Ananova!
Posted by Cranky Media Guy  on  Fri Apr 01, 2005  at  01:02 AM
Except the first day of April, of course
😊
Posted by Rod  on  Fri Apr 01, 2005  at  01:21 AM
A giant copper obelisk that spurts flames? Ye gods! It's the penis of Hephaestus!
Posted by Barghest  on  Fri Apr 01, 2005  at  07:30 PM
I've read of towns erecting similar monuments in Shlongfloggen, Beifboppen, and Meinkrankmilche...
Posted by Hairy Houdini  on  Fri Apr 01, 2005  at  09:54 PM
Did I hear a whisper of coup-de-tat? Is there a hint of revolution in the Netherlands? Stay tuned for our next exciting episode - On, "As the cheese turns." C'mon, guys, keep making diamonds, Delft, tulips and chesse, and don't forget the hash. Produce, Consume, Continue. Isn't that what the Euro was all about?
Posted by stork  on  Sun Apr 03, 2005  at  01:46 PM
This website suggests that this is no hoax: http://www.monumentaal-ontwerper.nl/project.php?naam=vrijheidsvuur&id=3&nummer=0
Posted by Johanna  on  Sun Apr 03, 2005  at  06:29 PM
The following site suggests this is no hoax http://www.monumentaal-ontwerper.nl/project.php?naam=vrijheidsvuur&id=3&nummer=0
Posted by Johanna  on  Sun Apr 03, 2005  at  06:31 PM
It's true, it's dedicated to Prince Bernhard.
http://www.nos.nl/nieuws/artikelen/2005/3/23/defallusvanwageningen.html
No hoax. Prince B. was known to screw around a lot, resulting in several bastards. Holland and art: it aint what is used to be.
Posted by Gerrit  on  Mon Apr 04, 2005  at  08:52 AM
I'm sorry, its not a joke. Check this sites as well http://www.delulvanbernhard.org/ (Prince Bernhards Dick) and http://www.cultuurinwageningen.nl
Posted by Vincent  on  Mon Apr 04, 2005  at  09:30 AM
Oh dear. The world is really something else.. Will look forward to the rebellion 😊
Posted by Mari  on  Thu Apr 07, 2005  at  09:24 AM
Word on the street is that the monument has been effectively mothballed.

http://www.geenzorg.org/pivot/entry.php?id=945

According to a press release from the City of Wageningen, on Tuesday the town council decided that -De Lul van Bernhard- "...will be placed in Wageningen at a later time, at a location to be decided upon later."

With this, the council bows towards the reactions of the people of Wageningen. Considering that the principle of "from delays come delays" has been in force in Wageningen for years, this means that the disputed monument is now definitely headed for the scrap heap.
Posted by lsb  on  Tue Apr 19, 2005  at  07:41 PM
it
Posted by Ben Hard  on  Wed Sep 07, 2005  at  04:46 PM
UNFORTUNATELY, IT IS NOT A HOAX!

On the website of the municipality of Wageningen, you will find an image of this monumental penis: http://www.wageningen.nl
Posted by John  on  Thu Sep 08, 2005  at  12:36 AM
quote: Wageningen is in the south of the Netherlands which is below the rivers" and is katholic.


that is rubbish!
wageningen is, for a start north of the rivers and secondly it is not at all catholic, actually it is know to be a very left wing town
Interesting fact: the man who killed Pim Fortuyn worked in Wageningen
Posted by qq1122  on  Mon Nov 07, 2005  at  02:01 PM
It's not a hoax. This statue will be erected 😊 despite protests from local residents, but in a different location than where it was originally planned to be.
Posted by Marnix  on  Sat May 31, 2008  at  08:32 AM
Wageningen may vote to the left but it is a small, conservative township.
Posted by QQQ  on  Wed Jun 23, 2010  at  06:50 AM
Isn't offering women or young women free on a Yahoo ad against the law?
Posted by faust80  on  Thu Sep 19, 2013  at  02:55 AM
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