(Photo: Sandra Uittenbogaart)A 99-year old time capsule was found beneath the feet of a Dutch king in a statue in The Hague, Netherlands, taking historians by surprise. Workers found the hidden time capsule guarded by King William II during reconstruction of the Parliament building in The Hague. City Art Historian, Sophie Olie says, "We didn't expect anything, so at first that was a very big surprise, and it's quite huge, actually!"
The lead box, dated January 29, 1925, was filled with perfectly preserved historical documents, letters and books describing Dutch battles against Napolean, specifically the Battle of Waterloo in 1815. Dutch General Francois de Bas, a popular military historian at the time, penned a three-volume French book about the famed battle, which was included in the secret time capsule. The Hague Mayor, Jan van Zanen told AFP News that the "King's capsule" was an important trip back in time to see what was on the minds' of those who buried the time capsule in 1925.
Van Zanen says the city is planning to follow the time capsule tradition set by forefathers a century ago and place a new capsule inside the statue after renovations. He says, "The idea now is to ask the people of The Hague to advise us on what to put in the box for those who will open it 100 years from now." He says he will honor the wishes of the people, but he'd like to add details about the current renovation, pictures of the area and perhaps some coins to represent the modern era.
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