Snow White's Graff

Did you know that beneath the stock exchange building lies a grave of 'Snow White'?

It is actually the grave of Margaretha von Waldeck, but she is thought to have been an inspiration for the fairy tale by the Brothers Grimm. The grave is located in the archaeological crypt of the stock exchange, which is part of a 13th-century Franciscan monastery.

This princess, who lived in the 16th century, is sometimes regarded as one of the inspirations for the Brothers Grimm when they wrote the fairy tale Snow White. The German countess Margaretha von Waldeck is said to have lived in Brussels for quite some time and eventually died and was buried here. The incredibly beautiful countess was 'gifted' to the court in Brussels as a young woman. She died young, presumably poisoned, for political reasons. Crown Prince Philip II of Spain showed too much interest in the stunning Margaretha during his stay at the court. However, a relationship between the Lutheran Margaretha and the Catholic Philip II was undesirable for the powers that be.

She died at the age of 21 in March 1554, presumably from arsenic poisoning.

Mediahuis België