A 99-year-old time capsule discovered hidden under a statue of King William II during renovations at the Dutch Parliament was opened on Monday, revealing historical documents and books about Dutch battles against Napoleon.
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Workers renovating the Parliament building in The Hague were surprised to discover a metal box hidden between two walls supporting the king's pedestal.
“It was a big surprise,” said Sophie Olie, the city’s art historian.
Wearing white gloves, Mayor Jan van Zanen ceremoniously opened the capsule to a packed room full of journalists and revealed its contents: letters, documents and books.
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“It was a very nice impression from back then. There was a poem for the king and a poem for the city and the country. “This will last 99 years until 2024,” Van Zanen told AFP.
This discovery stunned historians who had no idea of the existence of this time capsule.
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The books are a three-volume account in French of William II's battles, including the Battle of Waterloo against Napoleon in 1815, written by F. de Bas, a famous military historian of the time.
The city plans to continue the tradition and install its own time capsule when the statue is replaced in 2028, the mayor said.
AFP
“The idea now is to ask the residents of The Hague to give us advice on what to put in the box for whoever opens it in a hundred years,” he said.
He will respect the will of the people, but said that he would prefer to fill the box with “text and some images from today, text about the renovation and a coin (…) for example a euro.”