Dog Statues – The Ulmer Dog

by RIA HöRTER

They are frozen in time and sometimes deceptively real. Perpetuated in stone or bronze, looking over water, streets, parks or squares, dog statues can be found all over the world.

Dog Statue: Ulmer Dog (Le Chien – Le Chien Vert) – Jean-Baptiste Van Heffen

A bronze statue of a Great Dane stands in the southwest corner of the Jubel Parc (Parc du Cinquantenaire) in Brussels. Ulmer Dog seems to be the popular name, but Le Chien (The Dog) and Le Chien Vert (The Green Dog) are used as well.

Ulmer Dog

The Parc du Cinquantenaire was established by King Leopold II of Belgium (1835-1909) to celebrate 50 years of Belgian independence (1830-80) with something that would last for years to come. The park was also the site of the Brussels International Exhibition in 1897, as well as trade fairs, exhibitions and festivals, including the 75th- anniversary celebration of Belgian independence in 1905.

A military training ground outside central Brussels was turned into the 74-acre park and exhibition center by Belgian architect Gédéon Bordiau (1832-1904). About 30 acres became classical gardens with laurel trees, straight pathways and two exhibition halls. Mature chestnut trees, elms, maples and lime trees were planted in 1888.

Today at the park one can visit the Grand Mosque, the Royal Museum of the Armed Forces and Military History, the Royal Museum for Art and History and… the Ulmer Dog, officially The Dog or, in French, Le Chien.

Short URL: http://caninechronicle.com/?p=145401

Posted by Alex on Jun 26 2018. Filed under Current Articles, Featured. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. Both comments and pings are currently closed.