Juliana van Stolberg (1506-1580) was born and lived most of her life in Germany. At 14, she married Count Philip of Hanau-Munzenberg, and together they had five children. In 1529, Philip passed away, and she married Willem de Rijke. Together they had twelve children; seven daughters and five sons. Her son, William of Orange, led the successful Dutch rebellion against Spain for independence. His brothers also fought the battle, and some even died during the war. Three hundred years after Juliana van Stolberg passed away, old letters revealed that she was not only the mother of five of the commanders of the Dutch rebellion but that she had a significant role as a consultant and financial supporter. Inspired by her actions, Queen Wilhelmina named her first daughter and heir to the throne, Princess Juliana, in her honor. On April 30th, 1927, on her 18th birthday, Princess Juliana laid the monument’s cornerstone; three years later, she unveiled it in the presence of Queen Wilhelmina and Queen Mother Emma on the Louise de Colignyplein in The Hague. The sculptor Bon Ingen-Housz and the architect Dirk Roosenburg created it. They depicted Juliana van Stolberg in a tall stone heptagonal sculpture standing alongside her five sons – William I of Orange (Willem van Oranje), John VI “the Elder” (Jan van Nassau-Dillenburg), Louis of Nassau (Lodewijk van Nassau), Adolf (Adolf van Nassau), and Henry (Hendrik van Nassau). Inscribed below Juliana is the following text: “Juliana Countess van Stolberg ancestress of the House of Orange Nassau b. 1506 deceased. 1580 and her sons” On March 3rd, 1945, the British air force bombed the area causing the death of 500 people. The statue was barely scratched; in 1954, when the Bezuidenhout got rebuilt, the monument moved to the corner of Koningin Marielaan and Juliana van Stolberglaan, serving as a memorial to the 500 victims of the bombardment of Bezuidenhout. A 10-minute walk will get you to the beautiful and spacious Haagse Bos park. Read more...

In the center of the square on the avenue that bears her name, a bronze statue of the Queen of the Netherlands, Anna Pavlovna of Russia, is sitting on a bench, looking at and mingling with the visitors of the square while holding a decorated hand fan. The Russian sculptor Alexander Taratynov created it in 1999. Anna Pavlovna of Russia (1795-1865) was born to the title Her Imperial Highness Grand Duchess Anna Pavlovna of Russia in the royal family of Russia. In 1816, Pavlovna married the Prince of Orange, who became King William II of the Netherlands in 1840. Together they had five children. She had difficulty accepting the cultural differences between her home country and the Netherlands, specifically with the lack of distance between the royals and the commoners. As a princess and later as queen, Pavlovna learned the Dutch language, history, and culture; she focused on charity work, financing many orphanages and schools and establishing charity organizations. In 1849, after the unexpected death of her husband, she retired from royal life and lived privately and a bit alone until she died in 1865. Around the square are some lovely local restaurants. Panorama Mesdag museum and Noordeinde Palace are within walking distance to the east. Heading north from the statue will lead to the De Mesdag Collectie art museum and the Peace Palace. Read more...