De Reus van Rotterdam

De Reus van Rotterdam: the Giant of Rotterdam

De Reus van Rotterdam is a bronze statue dedicated to Rigardus Rijnhout (1922–1959), a famous Rotterdam resident known for his extraordinary height.

The sculpture is located in Wijkpark Oude Westen, close to the area where Rijnhout lived for much of his life.

Rigardus weighed around eight kilos at birth and, as an adult, grew to approximately 2.37 metres tall and weighed around 230 kilos. He was the tallest citizen of Rotterdam and one of the tallest men in the history of the Netherlands.

For this reason, he became popularly known as De Reus van Rotterdam, the Giant of Rotterdam.

The story of Rigardus Rijnhout

His extraordinary height made Rigardus Rijnhout a well-known figure in Rotterdam, although it also meant that he had to endure stares, comments and ridicule for much of his life.

Finding a conventional job was not easy either. For a while, he earned a living as a kind of human advertising billboard, walking through the centre of Rotterdam carrying advertisements on his body.

After suffering a bicycle accident, his physical problems became worse and he was no longer able to continue doing this work. He later earned some money by selling photographs of himself to tourists in Rotterdam’s harbour area.

Despite the difficulties and the constant attention caused by his appearance, Rijnhout was remembered as a friendly and approachable person.

A very short life

Rigardus Rijnhout died in 1959 at the age of just 36. His enormous size was related to a disorder of the pituitary gland, which was responsible for his exceptional growth.

Over the years, the Giant of Rotterdam became part of the city’s popular history, and the idea emerged to commemorate him with a sculpture.

The statue of the Giant of Rotterdam

The statue of De Reus van Rotterdam was installed in Wijkpark Oude Westen in 2011.

The figure depicts Rigardus Rijnhout at life size, giving visitors an idea of his impressive height of 2.37 metres.

Next to the sculpture you can also see a pair of enormous shoes made at actual size. They are one of the monument’s most unusual details and make it easy to compare his size with that of an average person today.

The statue now commemorates one of the most remarkable characters in Rotterdam’s recent history.

De Reus van Rotterdam: practical information

Other sculptures in Rotterdam

Cascade | De Boeg | Delftsche Poort | Erasmus | Everybody is dead but us | Fikkie | Gevallenen | Maasbeeld | Marathonbeeld | Marten Toonder | Santa Claus | Untitled | Slavernij Monument | Sylvette | Verwoeste Stad | Westersingel