Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Top Destinations
Latest Places
Most Popular Places Random Place Lists Itineraries
Add a Place
Download the App
Top Destinations
View All Destinations »

Countries

  • Australia
  • Canada
  • China
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Italy
  • Japan

Cities

  • Amsterdam
  • Barcelona
  • Beijing
  • Berlin
  • Boston
  • Budapest
  • Chicago
  • London
  • Los Angeles
  • Mexico City
  • Montreal
  • Moscow
  • New Orleans
  • New York City
  • Paris
  • Philadelphia
  • Rome
  • San Francisco
  • Seattle
  • Stockholm
  • Tokyo
  • Toronto
  • Vienna
  • Washington, D.C.
Latest Places
View All Places »
One of the open areas inside the market
Centro Artesanal Los Dominicos
The original owner opened up in the Bay Area in 1920, but came to this location in 1927.
Barney’s Beanery
Kwidzyn Dansker
The low pressure cylinder and piston from the RMS Athens
RMS Athens Shipwreck
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
The original owner opened up in the Bay Area in 1920, but came to this location in 1927.
Barney’s Beanery
Cat Caffe Zagreb
Akureyri Domino’s Pizza
Site of the Original Krispy Kreme Doughnut Shop
Neuhaus Chocolate Shop
Recent Stories
All Stories Video Podcast
Most Recent Stories
View All Stories »
Jane August poses in front of the painting, “The Daughters of Edward Darley Boit, 1882,” by John Singer Sargent at The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Visiting every museum in New York City
Welcome to The Obscura Society
Taking advantage of Florida’s never-ending summer, Sajoma has a spacious outdoor eating area.
Pedro Rodriguez Is on a Quest for Freshness
Edison’s laboratory
Inside Thomas Edison’s Botanical Laboratory

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All Belgium Leuven 'Renée'
AO Edited

'Renée'

This statue of a studious young woman stands at the site of Leuven's first college to accept female students.

Leuven, Belgium

Added By
CoolCrab
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
CAPTION
  CoolCrab / Atlas Obscura User
  CoolCrab / Atlas Obscura User
  CoolCrab / Atlas Obscura User
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

Leuven is a student city, dotted with university buildings throughout. This closeness to student life has inspired much of the art in the city, including the famous statue of Fonske, who pours knowledge or beer into his head. Not far from Fonske stands another statue of a student, this one a young woman. 

The statue depicts a fictional girl named Renée, who is made to represent the other side of student life. While Fonske is a silly, loud, and playful lad who enjoys his time as a student perhaps too much, Renée is a serious and dedicated student, shown carrying books and probably heading either to class or the library to study.

The statue was donated by and named after René Depret, an honorary citizen of the city to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the traders union. It was created by Armand Loveniers and placed in 1997. The location was chosen because the street that  Renée stands on is the location of the first college in the city to accept female students.

Places

Discover your next amazing Atlas Place.

Get more unusual and extraordinary places each week with the Atlas Obscura Places newsletter.

Your newsletter subscriptions with us are subject to Atlas Obscura's Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.

Related Tags

Colleges Universities Statues

Community Contributors

Added By

CoolCrab

Published

April 20, 2022

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • http://2020group1.onlinepublishing.ulyssis.be/renee
  • http://2020group1.onlinepublishing.ulyssis.be/renee
'Renée'
84 Naamsestraat
Leuven, 3000
Belgium
50.874355, 4.699892
Get Directions

Nearby Places

De Kangxi-Verbiest Hemelglobe (Kangxi-Verbiest Star Globe)

Leuven, Belgium

miles away

Museum voor Dierkunde

Leuven, Belgium

miles away

Crypt of Father Damien

Leuven, Belgium

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Leuven

Leuven

Belgium

Places 16

Nearby Places

De Kangxi-Verbiest Hemelglobe (Kangxi-Verbiest Star Globe)

Leuven, Belgium

miles away

Museum voor Dierkunde

Leuven, Belgium

miles away

Crypt of Father Damien

Leuven, Belgium

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Leuven

Leuven

Belgium

Places 16

Related Places

  • Miss America statues at OCU

    Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

    Miss America Statues

    Three bronze beauty queens welcome you to “Miss America University.”

  • Donor Memorial.

    Birmingham, Alabama

    Donor Memorial

    This little-known memorial honors those who have donated their bodies to medical training.

  • Saint Mary's City, Maryland

    Freedom of Conscience Statue

    A tribute to the forgotten origins of American religious freedom.

  • Look up for curious creatures like this one.

    Oxford, England

    Magdalen College Gargoyles

    A cornucopia of gargoyles adorns the oldest portion of Oxford’s Magdalen College.

  • A statue of Sigmund Freud still watches over the campus.

    Worcester, Massachusetts

    Sigmund Freud Statue

    This statue is a commemoration of the only place where Freud spoke in the United States.

  • Rat Grave marker

    Washington, D.C.

    Rat Graves

    Stone markers on the campus of Gallaudet University commemorate a peculiar school tradition.

  • Peter the Anteater

    Irvine, California

    Peter the Anteater Statue

    This bronze statue commemorates the strange and beloved mascot of UC Irvine—the only university to be represented by a giant anteater.

  • Meridianen för den Akademiska Kvarten

    Lund, Sweden

    Meridianen för den Akademiska Kvarten (Meridian for the Academic Quarter)

    The marker that allows students all over the world to be late for class.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2026 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.