Sculpture: Arendje van der Mije, 1972
Material: Bronze
Dimensions/height: 145 m (incl. base)
Location: Gasthuisplein at Zandvoorts Museum
Sculptress: Bep Sturm van den Bergh
In 1972, the bronze statue of Arendje van der Mije was unveiled, which, like her husband Floris Molenaar, was made by artist Bep Sturm van den Bergh. During the unveiling in 1972, a booklet was handed out to the descendants of the family, providing insight into everything surrounding the extensive Molenaar family. The booklet was compiled by the then head of the Civil Affairs department at the Municipal Secretariat, Mr. P. Brune. This booklet quotes a motto that originated on the Zandvoort fleet of bomb boats at the time. This statement by a skipper was: “Let us be well with each other”.
Fishmonger
Arendje van der Mije married Floris Molenaar in 1863. The couple lived with their 10 children on the Schulpweg near the Schelpenplein. Their house was lost during the demolition of the sea front during the Second World War. Arendje van der Mije was a well-known fishmonger. In Zandvoort the word fishmonger is unknown, both the man and the woman are called a fishmonger. A fishmonger was usually a woman who bought fish on the beach of Zandvoort and sold it in Haarlem and the surrounding area in Zandvoort costume. Artist Bep Sturm van den Bergh has depicted the bronze Arendje in traditional costume with a basket on her back consisting of 2 parts: the ‘bot’ and the ‘zeiger’ that fit together. On her arm she has a basket with a handle containing a cup and a knife. The cup was for measuring a portion of shrimp, the knife for cleaning the fish.
Bep Sturm van den Bergh 1919-2006
She has had great success with the Zandvoort statues. She has made about 20 of them in miniature format. Over the years, artist Bep van den Bergh (she is known by her maiden name) has made a large number of posthumous portraits. Her Anne Frank is in the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam and a portrait of Henri Dunant is in the Peace Palace. She made a portrait of the painter for the ‘Rembrandtplantsoen’ in Madurodam and a bronze portrait of Einstein hangs in the University of Jerusalem. She also made a statue in the Canadian Stratford. The statue is a thank you from the Dutch military to Canada.