Obviously, the bombing in 1944 destroyed much of the historic city centre, but there are other reasons for why Nijmegen's past is not so visible. “The Valkhofburcht, which was demolished at the end of the eighteenth century, could well have been restored, but the province needed money and the building stones could be sold for a tidy profit. In addition, the Valkhof once overlooked the oldest Roman city in the Netherlands (Oppidum Batavorum), but it was burned to the ground.”
After a bit of extra brainstorming, Manders and Jussen decided that they would use street art to depict Nijmegen’s history. “This would not only allow us to showcase the past in an accessible way, but it would also allow us to brighten up the more destitute parts of the city.” The Waalpaintings have been placed at the locations where the historical events actually took place.
Wine fountain
On the basis of De Canon van Nijmegen, which is a collection of 50 stories about the history of the city, Manders and Jussen selected fifteen themes for the Waalpaintings. “We didn't want to present a one-sided interpretation of the past, which can sometimes be quite a challenge. After all, much of history was written by white males. We therefore decided to begin with the story of the 10th century empress Theophanu. When she was in her twenties, she governed a large part of Western Europe and visited Nijmegen several times.”
Jussen and Manders collect the stories that provide the artists with input. “Consider the Waalpainting about the Treaty of Nijmegen (located in the Kerkegasje in the Burchtstraat). According to sources, there was a wine fountain in the Grote Markt where the envoy of the German emperor scattered coins. For a short time in the 1670s, Nijmegen was the most important city in Europe, which has been expressed very effectively in this painting.”
Beautified city centre
At least three additional Waal paintings are planned for 2022. The corresponding themes are the Nijmegen Four Days Marches, Roman Nijmegen and a painting of King Hendrik (VII), who granted city rights to Nijmegen in 1230. “We’re also working on signs with QR codes and a website that contains more information about each painting.” Ultimately, Jussen and Manders hope to set up an audio walking tour that includes all of the Waal paintings. “But that’s still quite a long way off. Our main goal at the moment is to portray the history of Nijmegen and beautify the city centre.” And so far, that seems to be working. “When you walk past the paintings, you’ll invariably see someone else looking at them.”
Tip: Contribute to the Waalpainting about the Four Days Marches
Want to help capture the spirit of the Nijmegen Four Days Marches? Donate to the Radboud Fund
Foto: Flip Franssen.