The Mestreechter Geis statue
Maastricht"The character of the people of Maastricht has been shaped by a long history encompassing many influences from beyond the city's walls. Nobody can capture this character in a single definition.
A familiar phrase in the Maastricht dialect, and one given form by the sculptor Mari Andriessen (1897-1979) in a statuette of the same name. “Geis”means spirit, character, disposition. The joie de vivre of Maastricht folk is no secret – perhaps a little nonchalant at times, very much an enjoyer of the good things in life, but with above all a strong bent for getting matters into proper perspective.
The notion of “Mestreechter Geis” was first formulated in 1955, in Loe…
A familiar phrase in the Maastricht dialect, and one given form by the sculptor Mari Andriessen (1897-1979) in a statuette of the same name. “Geis”means spirit, character, disposition. The joie de vivre of Maastricht folk is no secret – perhaps a little nonchalant at times, very much an enjoyer of the good things in life, but with above all a strong bent for getting matters into proper perspective.
The notion of “Mestreechter Geis” was first formulated in 1955, in Loe Maas’ operetta “Veer Mestreechteneere nao de maon” (Four Maastricht men tot he moon). Later, Mari Andriessen gave the Maastricht spirit form in a statuette that was placed in the square bounded by Stokstraat and Maastrichter Smedenstraat in 1962, as a gift from the city to the resident mayor Mr. W. Baron Michiels van Kessenich on the occassion of this 25th anniversary in office. The “Replica” Foundation had been given the exclusive rights to make miniature reproductions of the statuette.
The model for his replica was prepared by Yvonne Drummen. The replicas are obtainable solely from the Maastricht Store.