“I’m right here in bronze,” Klaas Koper might have announced. That’s if he could speak from his statue. We stand before the Klaas Koper Statue. It is a tribute to a beloved Zandvoort figure.
Klaas Koper served as the town crier until 2010. His voice carried important news to the townspeople. He also spread joy. Besides his official duties, Klaas actively volunteered in Zandvoort. He was a much-loved Sinterklaas helper. Every year he brought happiness to children.
A memorable moment was Klaas Koper’s performance at the 2022 fish meal event. He sang his favorite song. It was “Dreamland”. The community’s love for him was clear. After he died, people laid flowers at his statue. It stands in front of the Zandvoorts Museum.
The Klaas Koper Statue came about during Zandvoort’s 700th-anniversary celebration. Eight students from Amsterdam’s Wackers Academy participated in a masterclass. The famous Dutch artist Kees Verkade led them. They sculpted Klaas Koper’s head. He modeled at Verkade’s former studio. It was on the Groot Bentveld estate in Bentveld.
Over 700 Zandvoort residents judged the sculptures. They voted for their favorite. Mara Dominioni’s bust received the most votes. Her design was cast in bronze. On June 5, 2004, Kees Verkade and Mayor M.R. van der Heijden unveiled the statue. Mara Dominioni and Klaas Koper attended the event.
Mara Dominioni was born in Switzerland in 1967. Before becoming a sculptor, she studied architecture in Zurich. She took lessons at the Wackers Academy in Amsterdam. She also studied in Miami, Florida. Her classical sculptures draw inspiration from Michelangelo, Rodin, and Camille Claudel. Mara is fascinated by the inner soul. She creates sculptures in bronze and stone. Since 1995, she has created portrait busts. These include the French Cardinal Jules Mazarin and Klaas Koper. She has won several awards. The Kees Verkade Cultuurprijs 700 is among them.
The bronze casting was done at the Binder foundry in Harlem, Netherlands. The Klaas Koper Statue stands 1.80 meters tall. This includes the plinth. The Klaas Koper Statue immortalizes a man who enriched Zandvoort. He did it with his kindness and dedication. The Klaas Koper Statue reminds us of his contributions. It celebrates community spirit.