Westbroek Park - Den Haag

Westbroek Park dates from the time of worries about war and crisis, the 1920s. It has that in common with the more folksy Zuiderpark, although the latter was completed in the 1930s. Both parks exude the atmosphere of art deco and quiet hope for better times. Westbroek Park, named after one Pieter Westbroek, comes across as a bit more elegant than the rather rough Zuiderpark. Or does that have to do with the wealthier neighbourhoods that surround it? That Pieter Westbroek was director of the Municipal Botanical Service and did not live to see the opening of Zuiderpark. Pity, for a man who was born in the simple village of Loosduinen and undoubtedly had a fondness for the 'people'.

The similarities between Westbroek Park and Zuiderpark are greater than the differences. Both boast a rose garden and a collection of statues, albeit with a different character. The greenery, statues and roses in Westbroek Park seem slightly more graceful than those in Zuiderpark. But maybe that is just imagination.

Photo: Matthijs Termeer