Victor Westhoff

Statuette by Willem van der Velden of a seated, writing man , on a corten steel pedestal representing Victor Westhoff.
Victor Westhoff (Situbondo, Dutch East Indies, 1916 - March 12, 2001) was a biologist, best known for his contributions to vegetation science and nature conservation. He wrote the book "The plant communities in the Netherlands" together with Den Held.

The statue bears the following caption:

he observes
he describes nature
in all its diversity
again and again
he follows nature
in memory of victor westhoff (1916-2001)

The seven identical statues are in seven different landscapes in the Netherlands:
1.Meijendel (Wassenaar);
2.the Burnt Pan, Bergen NH;
3.de Badhuiskuil, Terschelling;
4.Springendal, Hezingen, (gem. Tubbergen);
5. the Korenburgerveen, Winterswijk;
6.the Geul valley, Epen;
7.the Botanical Garden, Nijmegen.

These areas – with the exception of the Botanical Garden – have nothing in common only that they were able to rejoice in the warm scientific interest of Westhoff, but also that there are so-called 'permanent squares' , test areas in which it is regularly examined which plant species are present in the area. what quantities are growing.

Another similarity is that all statues are on the 'edge' of the Netherlands: three are near the coast, three near the German border and one near the Belgian border.

Willem Vandenameele