Take a walk down Voorstraat and you really can’t miss it: the town pump, also known as the Large Pump. The monumental sandstone pump stands 5 metres high and 2 metres wide and deep and shows the coats of arms of the Brederodes, Louise Christina of Solms-Braunfels and the town of Vianen bearing the date 1662. At the top of the pump is a pomegranate vase and originally all 4 corners were decorated with porpoises.
Despite the coats of arms, it’s not clear exactly who built the pump…
Take a walk down Voorstraat and you really can’t miss it: the town pump, also known as the Large Pump. The monumental sandstone pump stands 5 metres high and 2 metres wide and deep and shows the coats of arms of the Brederodes, Louise Christina of Solms-Braunfels and the town of Vianen bearing the date 1662. At the top of the pump is a pomegranate vase and originally all 4 corners were decorated with porpoises.
Despite the coats of arms, it’s not clear exactly who built the pump. It’s generally assumed that Louise Christina of Solms-Braunfels commissioned the pump in memory of her late husband, Johan Wolfert van Brederode. However, there are no sources that support this story. It’s also conceivable that either Louise Christina of Solms-Braunfels or the town of Vianen had the pump made to provide clean drinking water to residents and visitors to Vianen.
In the 19th Century, the central location on Voorstraat proved almost fatal to the pump. Increasing traffic, combined with the poor condition of the pump, led to plans to demolish it. Eventually, the pump was relocated to the gardens of the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam. Starting in 1949, plans were made to return the pump to its rightful place in Vianen. This came to fruition in 1978, when the pump took pride of place on Valkenplein. In 1991, it was again returned to Voorstraat.
Further reading: Buitenlandpoort Memorial, Mausoleum of Reinoud III van Brederode, Brederode statue, Vianen water tower, Town wall and town canal.
