In the South Limburg hills lies the town of Gulpen, on the river Gulp. Near the centre is the Gulperberg. At the top of this hill stands an imposing Marian monument, designed by sculptor Piet Gerrits (1878–1957) and made by Charles Vos (1888–1954). The statue is made of white concrete and measures 3 metres. Beneath the statue is the text: “all generations will call me blessed”. Right at the bottom of the pedestal, each side bears a characteristic word relating to Our Lady, namely “Mother”, “Mediatrix”, “Virgin”, and “Co-Redemptrix”. The Marian monument is a symbol of Her role in the work of salvation. The large statue stands in a garden, with a lawn and benches.
The statue of Mary is the highest statue of Mary in the Netherlands, situated on the summit of the 157-metre-high Gulperberg. The effigy stands on a tall, square plinth of no less than 13 metres. The statue of Mary therefore looks out over the Limburg countryside from a height of 170 metres. The plinth is adorned on all four sides with mosaics and lists the names of the parishes that once belonged to the deanery of Gulpen.
In 1935, the Mary monument was erected in collaboration with all the parishes of the deanery of Gulpen. The consecration was performed by the Limburg native Guillaume Lemmens, Bishop of Roermond from 1932 to 1957. The tall monument is located approximately 200 metres from the spot where a Mission Cross was erected in 1834. Since 1935, the Mary monument has attracted pilgrims and farmers, who revere the statue to obtain good harvests.
In 2010, the statue of Mary was rededicated to the deanery of Gulpen-Gronsveld. The consecration was performed by Frans Wiertz, bishop from 1993 to 2017.
The address of the Maria monument is Gulperbergweg, 6271 NL Gulpen.
