2021Curacao’s Cathedral of Thorns - Stamp Booklet

In the heart of Curacao one can find a unique work of art of almost mythological significance, the Cathedral of Thorns. The Cathedral is ten meters high, covers an area of four hundred square meters and is made of ninety million thorns. The creator Herman van Bergen, worked for eight years to complete this impressive building together with eighteen unemployed young people.

The emission Cathedral of Thorns is dedicated to a unique work of art situated in the heart of Curaçao and made by Herman van Bergen. The Cathedral symbolizes our wandering mind, seeking for an answer to the question “why are we born to die?”. The Cathedral stands for hope, creating, inspiring a young generation and for having a free spirit. The Cathedral is a story about the bright light in a dark labyrinth. The souvenir sheet contains four stamps each showing us a beautifully illuminated part of the Cathedral. In the clouds above the Cathedral a couple of lines of the poem “Indjan” from Hans Vaders are visible. “Indjan” is a tribute to the native people of Curaçao, the philosophy behind the Cathedral and an important source of inspiration for the artist.