This fountain in the Grote Markt illustrates a gruesome Flemish folk tale. Once upon a time, there was a giant named Druon Antigoon who built a fortress along the Scheldt River and extracted tolls from passing boats and those who attempted to cross the bridge. Anyone who didn’t pay up got their hands cut off, which the giant threw in the river.
One day, a Roman soldier named Silvius Brabo said “nuts to this!” He challenged the giant to a duel, which Brabo managed to win. To complete his victory, he chopped off the giant’s head and hands and threw them into the river. If you look closely at the statue, Brabo is about to pitch the giant’s severed hand, which spouts water (as if it was Antigoon’s blood). The severed head of Antigoon is at his feet.
The folk tale is meaningful to Antwerp’s citizens on another level. For nearly 250 years (from the 1600s to 1863), the Dutch demanded tolls from ships passing along the river, which had put the once-mighty Antwerp into a severe decline (ship traffic moved to Amsterdam instead to avoid the tolls). So the story can also be seen as an allegory for the overthrow of Dutch rule over Antwerp
As early as 1415, a legend arose that the name of the city derives from the Dutch phrase “hand werpen”, or “hand throwing”. Most linguists and historians reject this etymology (Antwerp likely comes from older Germanic words relating to wharfs and embankment), but “Antwerp hands” are part of the city’s identity and can be found on the sides of the MAS (Museum aan de Stroom), or as souvenirs made of chocolate, ceramic, cookies, and more.
The Brabo fountain stands in front of Antwerp’s majestic city hall in the Grote Markt. Its was sculpted by Jef Lambeaux and put into place in 1887. The statue received Protected Heritage status in 1982. At the top of the statue, you can clearly see Brabo about to fling Antigoon’s severed hand into the river.
In this photo, you can see children climbing up the Brabo sculpture. Don’t do this. Since it’s a fountain, it’s slippery.
2026 Update: A 22 year old man climbed the Brabo statue on August 1st and was still in critical condition in the hospital as of August 4th. He climbed all the way to the top of the statue and then fell 7 meters (23’) to the hard pavement below. There have been no public updates on his condition since August 4th.
In another nod to the Antigoon/Brabo legend, the Hand of Druon Antigoon sits on the Meir shopping street. The giant hand was sculpted by French artist Henri de Miller in 1986 and was placed on the Meir in 1992. It’s located near Meir 24.
Originally written Sept 1, 2023. Updated Sept 1, 2026