Dutch unveil century-old time capsule buried under king’s statue

THE HAGUE: A 99-year-old time capsule discovered hidden under a statue of King William II during renovations was opened on Monday, revealing historical documents and books about the Dutch battles against Napoleon.

Workers renovating the Binnenhof parliament building in The Hague were astonished to uncover a metal time capsule concealed between two walls holding up the king´s plinth.

Wearing white gloves, mayor Jan van Zanen ceremonially opened the capsule to a packed room of journalists, to reveal its contents -- letters, documents and the books.

“It was a very nice impression of those days. There was a poem for the king and a poem to the city and to the country. It has brought 99 years ago back to 2024,” Van Zanen told AFP.

The discovery stunned historians who had no idea the time capsule existed, said city art historian Sophie Olie.

“It was a very big surprise. It was built in between two walls in a specially made chamber. It was carefully opened. It was sawn open,” she said.

The books are a three-volume account in French of William II´s battles against Napoleon, including the 1815 Battle of Waterloo, by F. de Bas, a famous military historian of the time.