Jeanneken Pis, Brussels

I was born in Brussels from parents born in Brussels, lived 50 years in Brussels, speak the Brussels dialect and discovered Jeanneke Pis (not Jeanneken; she is a girl) here on this tourist website.

Jeanneke Pis is a touristic production with no historical-folkloric background like our Manneken Pis.

Please note that I have nothing against feminism, on the contrary I'm a strong, even virulent, defender of the equality of women towards men. Unfortunately we have since 30 years in Brussels some men who consider women as inferior beings. I mentioned in "warnings and dangers" Women on the street a documentary film "Femmes de la Rue" by Sofie Peters showing how women dressed in European clothes are insulted on the street in some areas of Brussels.
Probably that Jeanneke Pis is shocking for a certain type of men so that she is protected from vandalism by metal bars.

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In the same little alley as the fabulous Delirium Café is the little sister of the Manneken Pis. She's a lot younger having only been put here in 1985 as a symbol of feminism by Denis Adrien Debouvrie. Unfortunately the little squatting girl is now behind bars, not because she is naughty, but to protect her from vandalism.

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Just off the Rue des Bouchers expected queue female counterpart to Manneken Pis, the sculptor Denis Adrien Debouvrie. He settled here in 1985, and is covered by steel bars.

Justo al salir de la Rue des Bouchers espera la equivalente femenina con coleta del Manneken Pis, obra del escultor Denis Adrien Debouvrie. Se instaló aquí en 1985, y está tapada por rejas de acero.

Jeanneken Pis is the female equivalent of Manneken Pis. It's a newer statue and it doesn't have any costumes yet. This one is a little girl with 2 pony tails, squatting and peeing very gladly.

The statue can be found at Impasse de la Fidelité, close to Rue des Bouchers and in front of Delirium bar.

The female version of Manneken Pis. I was shocked to see that there is something like this ;-)

Unfortunately both times I saw here the little lady (which is bigger than her male friend by the way) was taking a break from peeing. Maybe because too many people were looking... or maybe because girls would never go to the toilet on her own, anyway?

Unfortunately Jeanneken is sitting behind iron bars which destroys the impression a lot.

Jeanneken Pis is somewhat famous as the "sister" of Manneken Pis. Though much younger than her brother, she has gathered quite a following to her dark little alley in Brussels, as she squats behind the bars of her cage and continuously pisses on her stone pedestal.

She pisses near the restaurant district beside the Grande Place.

Duquenoy's sculpture called Manneken Pis later on it will be a nightmare of the gardens of nouveau riches in almost every country.There are several anecdotes about the origins of the statue -- one of them that the little boy was found resorting to this natural kind of fire-extinguisher to douse an arsonist's fuse, thus saving part of the town from what might have been a murderous fire at the time when many houses were still built in wood. Manneken Pis has a whole wardrobe of costumes.Belges have really a great sense of humor and definitely this small statue is a "blague" of belgium to the world.

Since the mid-1990s, the Manneken Pis has had a female equivalent, Jeanneke Pis which is about the same distance away on the other side of the Grand'Place. It is located on the east side of the Impasse de la Fidélité/Getrouwheidsgang or Faith Alley, some 100 metres long leading northwards off the restaurant-packed Rue des Bouchers / Beenhouwersstraat or Butchers' Street.

Not many tourist or people know about Jeanneke Pis but she was worth a visit. Ask the local they know where it is.

Everyone seems to know about Mannekin Pis but not everyone knows about Jeanneke Pis. The poor girl is actually locked behind bars at the end of an alley while the lucky boy gets to do his deed in front of everyone on a street corner -- and he gets dressed up for the day.

She was created in 1985 by Denis Adrien -- and the local tourist office as far as I know does not recognize her as an official site.

Jeanneke Pis is a bronze statue of a young child urinating, just like the more famous Manneken Pis .
The little girl Jeanneke is a recent work, commissioned by a group of local merchants in response to the popularity of the little boy Manneken. It was installed during the 1980s.

If you thought Manneken Pis was a bit of a disappointment, then just don't visit this statue. It will only be more disappointment .......