After more than a year of absence, the bronze prince tiles are put back in the Breda city center. The tiles are a homage to the princes and the carnival of the Kielegat from 1936 and were preventively removed because four of the twenty -eight had already been stolen. “In the Ridderstraat you will see the true tradition of our carnival again,” says chairman Rutger Westenburg of Stichting Kielegat.
It took a while, but soon the bronze prince tiles will get their place back between the children’s heads in the Ridderstraat. The stolen tiles are replaced and everything is provided with an anti-theft layer. It is an important event for the Breda carnival lovers.
“The theft was a whole loss for us, because the Ridderstraat is our Prinsenstraat with carnival,” says Rutger Westenburg, chairman of the Kielegat Foundation. “Here the former princes are buried figuratively. On the bronze tiles are their names and the period that they were active. It actually gives the true tradition of our carnival from 1936 to the present.”
“Certainly at the moment this theme is playing enormously,” he continues. “The carnival has really exploded in Breda in recent years and we want more back to the old traditions. Our carnival colors red and orange become more visible and the prince tiles are really one of those important traditions that we are proud of and that we have to guard. “
“The stolen prince tiles deliver a hefty bill.”
The bronze prince tiles have not been replaced before, because the budget at the Kielegat foundation was missing. But the municipality of Breda now offers help. “We have to purchase the stolen bronze tiles ourselves and that results in a hefty bill,” says Westenburg. “But the municipality pays for it and we are very happy with that. Normally they don’t pay that, but luckily they also see the importance for the Kielegatse carnival.”
There is now a special layer about the new and old tiles to protect them extra against theft. But of course you can’t exclude anything. “Producing such a bronze tile costs 1500 euros,” concludes chairman Rutger Westenburg. “And if you melt it again, it will yield less than a hundred euros. That is why I really hope that they will be left alone.”
