Genk (The Brussels morning Newspaper): A new statue of Saint Barbara, protector of miners, was installed in Genk after a successful crowdfunding campaign. The city plans to restore it after 12 years of weather damage.
Local stories say that a statue of Saint Barbara, who protects miners used to be above the entrance of the old Winterslag mine building in Genk, Belgium. Miners respect her because she is believed to protect against sudden death, making her a fitting symbol for the mining community. The niche where the statue was placed seems to have been made for it, located right above the entrance and designed to highlight its importance. This type of design is common for placing saint statues as they are meant to offer protection and blessings to people coming in and out of the building.
What evidence exists for the legend of Saint Barbara in Genk?
It has been said that here is no real proof like photos or documents to show it ever existed. Attempts to find evidence, like checking old records or asking former miners and their families, haven’t worked. This has turned the story into a local legend kept alive by the community and the empty niche where the statue was supposed to be. People still believe it was meant for Saint Barbara because she is important in mining areas but until more proof is found the story remains a mystery.
That’s why artist Sofie Muller had the idea to put her own statue of Saint Barbara in that spot, according to Anniek Nagels, the Alderman for Culture. The new neo-Gothic statue really moved the people in the area and many wanted to keep it in the niche. The Agency for Immovable Heritage agreed and the city began a crowdfunding campaign allowing the residents of Genk to help own the statue together.
For every euro donated by Genk residents, the city added another euro helping everyone come together to buy the statue. The Barbara statue has been in the niche for 12 years but bad weather has made it lose some of its details. So, the city decided to restore it and applied for funding from ECRU Heritage. They will also fix up the niche and take steps to keep birds from nesting there.
