Lange Wapper

At the entrance to the Steen, on a pedestal flanking the ramp leading up to the 13th-century fortress, stands the statue of Lange Wapper. Cast in bronze, the sculpture depicts a giant towering high above two tiny figures, as befits his legendary stature. 

Lange Wapper is a folkloric trickster and bogeyman, known for frightening mischievous children and drunkards. He could change his size at will and prowled the streets of Antwerp at night. In this statue, he appears suddenly – gigantic and threatening – before the eyes of two startled and terrified drunkards, one of whom still clutches his jenever flask. 

Albert Poels (1903–1984) was a figurative sculptor, inspired above all by Flemish folktales, songs, and ballads, which he translated into a formalist and stylized sculptural language. On 10 November 1962, the City of Antwerp decided to acquire the original Lange Wapper statue and had it cast in bronze. Since then, it has stood at the foot of the Steen’s ramp.