‘De Haopertse Gaoper’, sculpture by Nic van Leest on the Markt, 1981
On the market square in Hapert , there is a statue of the ‘Haopertse Gaoper’. The name suggests that in Hapert , people take a calm, unhurried view of things without saying much. The Gaoper observes a great deal and forms his own opinions. The Gaoper was also a historical figure. In the 18th century, a man lived in ‘De Kuil’ who traded in leeches.
He bought them from distant lands and kept them in the pit behind his house. He would then sell them to doctors in the Netherlands and Belgium, who used them to treat fevers. So, at that time, Hapert had a proper pharmacy, and in the past, the façades of pharmacies used to feature so-called ‘gapers’ – signboards by which one could recognise a pharmacy.
The Gaoper is in …
‘De Haopertse Gaoper’, sculpture by Nic van Leest on the Markt, 1981
On the market square in Hapert , there is a statue of the ‘Haopertse Gaoper’. The name suggests that in Hapert , people take a calm, unhurried view of things without saying much. The Gaoper observes a great deal and forms his own opinions. The Gaoper was also a historical figure. In the 18th century, a man lived in ‘De Kuil’ who traded in leeches.
He bought them from distant lands and kept them in the pit behind his house. He would then sell them to doctors in the Netherlands and Belgium, who used them to treat fevers. So, at that time, Hapert had a proper pharmacy, and in the old days, the façades of pharmacies used to feature so-called ‘gapers’ – signboards by which one could recognise a pharmacy.
The ‘Gaoper’ was presented to the Hapert community by Rabobank in 1981, but for the first few years of its existence it stood inside ‘Den Tref’. It was not until 1983 that it was moved to its current location, outside on the market square. The unveiling was part of the festivities marking the opening of the new village square.