A statue of the tallest man in Dutch history, Rigardus Rijnhout, will be unveiled in the Rotterdam district Oude Westen on Thursday. The Giant of Rotterdam was two metres and 37 centimetres tall.
The Giant of Rotterdam Foundation said on Monday the statue was intended to keep the legend alive. The foundation says Rijnhout is symbolic both for the growth of Rotterdam and for the "underdog in the city".
Rigardus Rijnhout died in 1959 at the age of 36. He weighed 230 kilograms and took size 62 (23½ US) shoes. He sold postcards of himself to make a living.
The tallest person in the world, US citizen Robert Wadlow, was a contemporary of the Giant of Rotterdam. At two metres and 72 centimetres, Wadlow was 35 centimetres taller than Rigardus Rijnhout.
(gsh/imm)
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According to www.thetallestman.com/albertjohankramer.htm, Rigardus Rijnhout was the 2nd tallest Dutchman.