The story of Mariken van Nimwegen

Mariken van Nimwegen is the most famous person from Nijmegen. A statue of her was erected on the Grote Markt and has been there since 1956. Two shopping streets in Nijmegen have been named after this protagonist: Marikenstraat and Moenenstraat.

The miracle play ‘Mariken van Nimwegen’ was written between 1485 and 1510. The author is unknown. Old booklets of the story have survived, the oldest of which was printed in about 1515 by the well-known Antwerp printer Willem Vorsterman.

The prose texts consist mainly of dialogues in rhyme, preceded by short pieces of prose. In Mariken, temptation, sin and forgiveness are the main themes. These were very important themes during the Middle Ages.

The story

‘Mariken van Nimwegen’ is a medieval Dutch morality and miracle play from the late Middle Ages. The story is about a young woman named Mariken, who lives in the city of Nijmegen. She is seduced and spends seven years with the devil, after which she is miraculously released. Later, she repents and seeks forgiveness for her sins. In the story, Mariken has to wear metal rings until God forgives her sins.

The play explores themes of sin, penance and grace and is an important work in Dutch medieval literature. It is often studied and performed for its historical and literary value.

The moral of the story is that no matter how badly a person sins, they can always obtain forgiveness through Mary’s mediation, provided the person confesses.