Jeanneke Pis
About
Jeanneke Pis is a 50 cm bronze fountain located at numbers 10‑12 on the narrow Impasse de la Fidélité in the Grand‑Place district of Brussels. Commissioned by Denis‑Adrien Debouvrie in 1985 and erected in 1987, the statue depicts a nude little girl squatting and urinating, standing as a playful, gender‑equivalent counterpart to the city’s famous Manneken Pis. The bronze figure is surrounded by iron bars that protect it from vandalism, a compromise between preserving the delicate artwork and keeping it accessible to the public. Its location on a bustling cul‑de‑sac attracts students, café‑goers and tourists, who often toss coins into the basin. The collected coins are directed to charitable causes such as HIV/AIDS research, UNICEF, and cancer research, further adding a philanthropic dimension to the monument’s cultural significance.
Highlights
- Gender Equality Symbol
- Protected by Iron Bars
- Charitable Coin Tossing Tradition