Hall stand

title:

"Abolition of the death penalty in Belgium"

A hangman's rope is attached to a hall stand.

The play on words "a hall stand, used for hanging clothes" is the starting point for this work.

When taking a closer look at the three vertical bars, we discover the Belgian legislation that abolished the death penalty.

Belgium has three national languages, this legislation was therefore officially published three times (once in each national language).

Each vertical bar contains one of the three official versions.

The hall stand's 'crown' is also the crowning glory of Belgium's abolitional legislation.

After the death penalty was abolished by law (in 1996), the abolition was also written down in the Belgian constitution (in 2005).

This one legislative text (that embodies the three national languages) can be read on the six upper hooks, the hall stand's crown.

Lastly, the question "what is the piece of clothing that is hung (or hanged) on the hall stand?" arises.

It is the hangman's hood.

Because of the legislation that abolished the death penalty, he had to hang his hood up.

(This hall stand belonged to the Faculty of Law Library, Ghent University)