The images of naval heroes Piet Hein, Michiel de Ruyter and Prince Maurits who were taken away from Farmsum on the day before Christmas have surfaced in Vledder. A stunt by the famous and infamous New Year’s Association Oliebol from Vledder.
The three images are said to have been loaded onto a trailer by workmen on the day before Christmas, after which they were last seen on the N33 between Gieten and Assen. At the roundabout, a sign with the text ‘we put our heads together until next year’ was left behind. It was clear that it was a New Year’s Eve stunt. Where the colossi were was a mystery.
History
The oversized statues of naval heroes Michiel de Ruyter, Piet Hein and Stadtholder Prince Maurits have been in Groningen since 2008. The large objects were designed and made by artist Lambert Kamps. In 1591, Prince Maurits visited the port of Delfzijl with a fleet of 150 ships. In 1628 Piet Hein moored there with his silver fleet. In 1665 Admiral Michiel Adriaansz de Ruyter called at the port. Groningen history.
New Year’s Eve association De Oliebol has existed since 1994 and has many notable disappearances to its name, for example the ‘All You Need is Love caravan’ was previously stolen and the association had removed the large figurehead ‘Kos with the Mustache’ from the Land van Ever. Fifteen years ago, the association stunted with the theft of wooden statues at the old zoo in Emmen. During the 2011-2012 New Year’s party, an F-104 Starfighter from the Deelen Air Base Museum was presented to the village. At the turn of the year 2018-2019, the men presented two dinosaurs from Dinoland Zwolle. Last year the association moved the statue of liberty Francien from Exloo.