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Madurodam Holland In Miniature At The Hague
o visit to the Netherlands pruned, drastically and
is complete without taking regularly, down to the scale
in Madurodam on the required.
outskirts of The Hague. Miss out
anything else and it won’t matter A look at the short but
because you’ll find it there, fascinating history of Madurodam
albeit on a scale of 1:25. demonstrates its connection to
the Caribbean, as well as to a
The Peace Palace is there. You Dutch sanatorium.
can see the queen arriving at the
opening of parliament at The The Maduro family hailed from
Hague’s Binnenhof. Castles and Curacao, an island of the
palaces; churches and street Netherlands Antilles in the
markets; windmills and bulb Caribbean. Their son, George,
fields; the Rotterdam Euromast in came to Leiden to study law, and
its lovely garden setting; the was there in the early days of
streets and canals of Amsterdam; the war, when his courageous
even Schipol Airport is there activities were to win him the
with moving aircraft. honour of the Military Order of
William I. Sadly he wasn’t alive
Staff at Madurodam make their own to receive it, as he was
models, calculating the imprisoned in Dachau and died
dimensions from architect’s there of typhus shortly before it
drawings. They study photographs was liberated. His parents were
of all the details to get considering some kind of monument
everything exactly right. to their brave son when they met
Buildings are placed in natural Mrs. Boon-van der Starp.
looking environments and
miniature parks and gardens, with After the war, she had been
real plants which have to be seeking the best way to raise
money to support the Dutch when Princess Beatrix became
Student Sanatorium in Laren, Queen, she took the role of Mayor
specifically for students who had of Madurodam. Now the mayor is
tuberculosis and needed to chosen from among the members of
continue studying. She knew of a the Youth Council.
model town in England where the
owner had been able to donate to To get there, take tram 9 or bus
hospitals from the revenue it 22 from Central Station in The
generated, and thought of doing Hague. If you are driving, take
something similar. Mr and Mrs the road to the coast at
Maduro were impressed and felt Scheveningen and look out for the
this small city could be a Madurodam signpost. The model
fitting memorial to their son. city opens at 9 am every day.
Closing time is 6 pm in the fall
So a partnership was born and and winter, 8 pm in the spring
Madurodam opened in 1952. George and 11 pm in high summer. Special
Maduro’s memorial is visited by illuminated evening visits
thousands and its profits go to outside of these hours are also
charity. Now that TB has been organized from time to time.
virtually eradicated, the model
city has a Support Fund Society, Don’t forget to make this a
which donates to a variety of highlight of your visit to
projects for young people. Holland and The Hague. Remember
the war hero, George Maduro, and
In return, the young people of be glad that, while you sample
The Hague supply a Youth Council, the miniature features of The
with representatives elected for Netherlands, some of the money
two year terms, and with its own you spend will be helping the
mayor and officials to perform youth of today and tomorrow.
ceremonial duties. Until 1980
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About the Author:
Offering tours in Holland, AmsterdamCityTours is a tour operator in Holland that offers bus tours in Holland. We offer a wide variety of daily bus tours from Amsterdam. Published At: www.Isnare.com |
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