In common with admirers of Byzantine mosaics, Cubism, and the Alhambra, observers of miniature cities marvel at the inspiration, imagination, painstaking detail, and sheer organisational genius that transports them to a place where they, too, can glimpse what it might be like to embody Goliath, tag along in Gulliver’s Travels, or be in Alice’s Wonderland.

In museums and exhibition spaces around the globe, cities one can experience in exquisite detail without actually being an architect, engineer, city planner, or artist are Pompeii (Archaeological Museum, Naples), London (New London Architecture, London), Shanghai (Urban Planning Centre, Shanghai), Jerusalem (Holy Land Hotel, Jerusalem), Sydney (Customs House, Sydney), and New York (Queens Museum of Art, New York), just to name a few.  In Shenzhen, China, one can practically visit the entire world’s most famous landmarks at its park, Window of the World.  It was once even possible to experience a city-of-the-future (Futurama, 1939 World’s Fair, New York).   

There are people who refer to themselves as “mini-citiists”, and one such person is Erik Rörsch in Oegstgeest, NL.  If you’re in the market for your own miniature city, visit his website www.miniaturecity.org/.

As fellow humans we can’t help but be awed by these physically-manifested accomplishments: we also take pride in knowing that a mere mortal just like you and me has envisioned and realised such magnificence.

Visionaries of every persuasion throughout recorded history have been profoundly influenced, consciously or otherwise, by Memento Mori: ‘Remember thou art merely mortal’.  We are fortunate beneficiaries of these words our ancestors lived by, in a certain place in Time.

In the Little Country That Could, there is arguably the greatest, smallest city that has ever existed.  Its origins are steeped in love, sorrow, compassion, and heroism, and its continued presence and purpose transformed into cultural altruism.  Which country is this, you wonder?  Which city might it be?  Is it really ‘all that’?  Well, yes, this city is really special, it’s in the Land of Windmills, and the city’s name is Madurodam.

To the naked eye, the City of Madurodam is impressive simply because of its conception and execution, its realistic city replicas of the Netherlands.  It is a tourist attraction equally inviting for families with children, singletons, students, royalty, and all sorts of curious minds.  One or two levels below, however, show Madurodam as a repository of important architectural periods: Gothic, Renaissance, Classicism, and Baroque buildings are in residence, as well as the Amsterdam School, among other architectural movements.  History plays a part, too, as shown in the Peace Palace, and social awareness is represented by the Houses with Solar Panels in Zoetermeer.

Of course, one can enjoy Madurodam simply as it is without any thought of history, architecture, social awareness, or landscaping feats, demonstrated by the attention that goes into maintaining what would normally be 15-metre-high trees  (49’) in scaleable form of 60 centimetres  (2’).

However, if you’ve ever had the thought while visiting a new place or viewing a painting that if you only knew a bit more about the subject/object you’d be enriched that much more, then your instincts of appreciation in it s fullest sense were and have been awakened.  Sometimes, a deeper sense of perspective can only be realised upon re-visiting a place, book, person, or film.  The layers peeled back, understanding unfolds and what was previously missed is now seen.

Madurodam offers a lot to take in, to let penetrate and deepen one’s awareness, discovery, and enjoyment.  When in the Netherlands, be sure to visit this little  jewel (www.madurodam.nl).  It is easily accessible and open year-round and, after a day of amusement, you can also enjoy a Dutch fairytale after sunset, Madurodam by Light.  Carpe Diem.

[Copyright Expatica 2008]