Three lonely little pigs. That is what is left of the large bronze statue in front of the provincial government in Den Bosch. Thieves took the big sow and some piglets there last weekend. “You stay away from art and gravestones.”
The theft was discovered Monday, a spokesman for the province said. It soon became clear that a large part of Zeug Met Piglet, as the work of art from 1979 is called, had disappeared. At the time, the statue was a present from the Noordbrabantse Christelijke Boerenbond (NCB) to the province.
And that is not the first time, the spokesperson knows. “Years ago, some piglets were stolen. That turned out to be a kind of carnival-like action and we got those pieces back in good order.” But in 2019 it happened again. “We never saw those piglets again.”
However, last weekend’s theft goes a lot further. “Now the sow has also been removed. That is really a pretty big picture.” What remains are three meager piglets, who have to do without their mother, brothers and sisters for the time being.
Because, according to the spokesperson, it is anything but certain that the picture will be complete again soon. “We will now have to talk to the NCB to see if and how we can arrange that. Anyway, the picture is quite sensitive for several reasons.”
This quickly made the link to the farmer’s protests. Yet it seems unlikely that the theft should be sought in that corner. “We hear noises from all over Brabant that bronze statues are being stolen.”
“It’s insane and intrigued.”
This weekend also hit Bergeijk, Zundert and Bergen op Zoom. “And even parts of graves are being removed.” It’s something the spokesperson can’t reach. “Public art and gravestones, stay away from that.”
Alexander van Hattem, leader of the PVV faction in the Provincial Council, discovered the theft Monday evening. “I arrived at the provincial government and thought: am I seeing that correctly? Has the pig been sawn away? And yes, indeed. It is heartbreaking and sad.”
As far as Van Hattem is concerned, the matter should be given considerable priority. “We see this happening in several places in Brabant. But as long as this type of theft is seen as a minor offense, the perpetrators will be back on the street in no time. And the robbery can continue.”
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