Restoration of the Pedestal of the Coster Statue

Louis Royer (1793-1968) was a sculptor originally from Flanders. He also created the statue of Rembrandt on Rembrandtplein in Amsterdam and that of William of Orange on Het Plein in The Hague. 

Pedestal

The bronze statue of Coster stands on an octagonal pedestal 4 meters high. It was designed by the Amsterdam architect Martinus Gerardus Tetar van Elven and carved by Haarlem stonemason L. Sabelis Jr. and his son. 

The pedestal is made of Escauzijn stone from the quarry of Écaussinnes in the Belgian province of Hainaut. On the sides are inscriptions in Latin and Dutch: ‘Lourens Janszoon Coster, tribute from the Dutch people, MDCCCLVI. Inventor of printing with movable metal type.’

Printing

In Haarlem, there are more monuments honoring Coster as the inventor of printing. But how did the idea arise that printing was invented in Haarlem? Over the years, several stories have emerged. 

According to one story, Coster made his discovery by accident in the 16th century in the Haarlemmerhout. Pieces of beech bark, which he had cut into letter shapes, left an imprint in the sand. However, the printing press had existed for centuries, and printing texts was already known in the 15th century. On the library website(link is external) you can read more about the stories and myths surrounding Laurens Janszoon Coster.