At the center of the square is a large fountain, built in 1887 by the architect Jef Lambaux. It depicts the protagonist of Antwerp's most famous legend: the mythical hero Brabo.
According to the Legend, the giant Antigoon demanded a high toll for each ship that wanted to enter the city. If the ship's crew did not want to pay the toll, their hands were cut off. The hero Brabo fought the giant, cut its hand and head and threw the hand in the river. The fountain's statue depicts Brabo throwing the giant's hand in the river Scheldt and symbolizes the free passage through the river. As such it is a political swipe at the Dutch, who long blocked (and still continue to hinder) free traffic on the Scheldt