Pigeon master
At Rapenburg 94 you can also spot a ‘koekerroe’ on the facade.
This graceful plaque is an ode to Christian Willemszoon, an entertainer who kept pigeons as a hobby.
During the Siege of Leiden, he and his brothers smuggled a number of pigeons out of the city, which ended up in Delft.
These pigeons later brought the important letters with the message that the liberation was coming.
As a reward Christian Willemsz. received a gold medal, got to change his name to ”v. Duyvenbode” (pigeon messenger) and he got the right to use a family coat of arms!