Statue of Peegie

Peegie, the fictional folk figure from the books of Willem Denys, lived at the Nieuwmarkt. He witnessed the fortunes and misfortunes of the street vendors up close.

Just a stone's throw from the venerable St. Michael's Tower, to the west, live the people of Nieuwmarkt. The rest of Roeselare lies on the other side. They have lived for centuries according to unwritten customs and style. They know each other, and if they know who Tarzan and Tanite and Sissen are, that is enough. They believe that actually, no one has any business with that, not even the police commissioner, and especially not the inspector.

Nieuwmarkers are sturdy, tough men who are eloquent and aware of their independence. They know and honor their ancestors. The stately mausoleums in the Old Cemetery testify to this, which are scrubbed and polished every year with foam and lye by the womenfolk. Their houses reflect this as well, tidily kept and clean, which the women oversee, and the men, however tough they may be, accept and endure this authority for centuries. Every year they travel by train across the country and even to distant Lourdes. They are honest but at the same time shrewd sellers. Hard work is done with great dedication during the journey, and it certainly pays off.

As hard as they work, with the same enthusiasm they celebrate exuberantly when they return home against Roeselare Fair. In De Beurs, the dance hall in Roeselare, the Antnetjies meet the Peegies, the Julietjies meet the young Caesars under the watchful eye of patriarchs who hold sway at the bar. And when, in adherence to age-old custom and decorum, a bond is formed, the joy breaks loose in full. The shoe shops, the seamstresses, and the caterers of all Roeselare know that only the best and the finest is good enough. The church is adorned and decorated with a sea of flowers, with canopies and red carpets. It can cost whatever it wants, for as the Nieuwmarkt celebrates, no one can celebrate like that. The dean must also make a living, they say.

The statue was made by Jef Claerhout and unveiled in September 1982. It depicts Peegie, promoting his last box of shoe polish, while in the pockets of his pants, two more spare boxes are still available. The text on the base of the statue itself is indicative of the cheekiness and commercial spirit of the people of Roeselare.

At folk occasions, the statue is dressed up with a costume through the mediation of the Guild of Peegie's Mates.

Toerisme Roeselare