‘Bonhomme de Fer’ (‘The Iron Man’)

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‘Bonhomme de Fer’ (‘The Iron Man’)

From far away, this cast iron statue looks eerily like the silhouette of a man. Upon closer inspection, the inscription on its side gives away its true purpose:"Borne géodésique," meaning geodesic terminal. In 1863, the military engineers were given the task of mapping Belgium. Triangulations were made from high monuments. In areas that had no visual landmarks, geodetic stations were added. A total of 86 were gradually installed. The Iron Man of…