Every Dutch child will know at least some of the lyrics to Berend Botje and his adventures in Zuid Laren and America. To commemorate this, the titular town constructed a statue in his honor. The song is a very old one, thought to date back to the early 19th-century, and refers to a young man called Botje who fled his mandatory military service for Napoleon’s army by sailing away forever. Since then, many different versions of the song have sprouted up and have been tied to many other people throughout…
