Peace Palace
Carnegieplein 1, 2517 KJ Den Haag, Netherlands
Description:
The idea of erecting a building for the Permanent Court of Arbitration appeared in 1900, after a conversation between Russian and American diplomats F. Martens and Andrew White. The latter contacted philanthropist Andrew Carnegie, who was interested in donating $1.5 million, or about $40 million at current rates, to the construction of the Peace Palace and the International Law Library. It was officially opened on August 28, 1913.
The neo-renaissance style was chosen for the building itself. According to the original project, the front of the palace was crowned by two large bell towers, and behind - two small ones. In the final version, only one large tower remained. Due to budget constraints, fountains and sculptures were also abandoned.
The palace is filled with gifts from different countries. Among the gifts are a 3.2-ton vase from Russia, doors from Belgium, marble from Italy, a fountain from Denmark, wall carpets from Japan, watches from Switzerland, Persian carpets from Iran and timber from Indonesia and the US. The palace also has a number of statues, busts and portraits of prominent fighters for world peace.