Identity fair or Jimmy Eight drawing by Jimmy Groen

Realm of Boys (Wereld van jongens) 1966 - present

BACKGROUND The Realm of Boys emerged as a special counter-world against the cruel adult domain.

Within this Realm, only little boys rule the world and live and play together, for safety, friendship and joy. The group developed out of a Realm of Stuffed Animals since 1966.

Forming a core group of seven, a two-and-a-half years old boy is the mother of all boys in this group. He is called Markje, and shaped the tangible group in December 1986. The group changed in numbers throughout the years from five to twenty in the nineties to become a stable group of seven in the twenties of this century..

This timeless world has never been influenced from the outside. It is not merely a plural system, but a sovereign, protective world to live in. It comprises of three equally important parts.

1. The World of Stuffed Animals, started in 1966

This is where the Realm of Boys started, living in a cruel and cold foster family: not protected , nobody talking with me and a word where you never belonged. Stuffed animals played and still play a vital role in providing companionship, maternal care, protection, and comfort. They interact and live within the group.

* Bimbam (1966, the brown cat): Functions as the mother for all of the boys..He got lost in 1979 and was restored in 1997. He is now the special Mother of King Sven.

* Pietertje (1967, the blue-striped horse) is a protector of little boys who can see in the darkness . The foster mother threw him in the bin in 1968. We restored him in 1997. He is now the special protector of Saint Terry.

* Dombo (1973, the pink elephant):unless his female color once used to humiliate, he is a the ultimate protector of Boys. He can make himself invisible against adults. He was lost in 1979 and rebought in yellow color in a store in 2005.

* Snuitje (2023, orange-dotted foxes): Provide ongoing support and protection to the boys. They cannot be invisible like Dombo, but are the fastest animals on earth.

2. The French - Netherlands, started in 1970

Since having contact with other children was in principle forbidden and so was playing outside, we spent out time alone in the attic floor of the house, with the French- Netherlands.

This world is an island in a big ocean, constantly besieged and attacked by enemies and extreme waves that try to indulge and erase the island.

The island, called the French - Netherlands, is a flat square piece of land, completely surrounded by dikes. However, the dikes are too low in itself to protect the island, so a special organization is required to protect it from invaders and high waves, asking great inventions to protect the island.

The island has only four houses, some roads and a large parking place. It has an Harbour with three boats, used for the protection of the island. On the island are cars and live only about twenty people divided into groups of four with different colors (5 x 4). Each color has a different task.

The organization of the island is guided by Jimmy Eight, who is the King of the French - Netherlands. He guides his defending force ( in colors Blue and Green), which are wooden puppets, to reinforce the dikes, to take strategic positions and actively defeat the enemy to save the island. He is constantly in contact with his colored figurines that help him. Special machines and vehicles are invented to fight the enemy.

The most famous example is the special LEGO - boat, build completely upside down to confuse the waves and enemy. The island has never been conquered by enemies or waves.

3.The Inhabitants of the Realm of Boys

* Marty (King) appr. 3 years old

* Terry (Saint) 2 years old

* Sven (Baby) 7 months old

Thr creative part

* Sven (King) — approx. 2.5 years old

He is the King of the Realm, since 1965 , protected by Dombo. In the creative process, he sparks joy by making spontaneous scratches on paper—which are, in fact, protective Ultimate Lines. He shares his position as a King with King Marty (1975) - King of Boys and King Jimmy Eight of the French - Netherlands.

* Tim — 3 -(till 4) years old

The successor of Gipsy Boy (who once lived with his mother in the Realms of Witches in 1964). Tim lives happily in the toddler group; he is deeply loved and the most humorous in his games.

* Remi (Rainbow) — 2 years old

The most vulnerable dreamer of the group emerged in 1970 and completed the group in 2026. Often passing unnoticed, Remi is the ultimate symbol of Hope. He believes the world is a safe place and is fiercely protected by the others. He draws Magic Circles to express his dreams of Hope. He is an introject based upon a boy from the outside world.

* Alex — 3 and 8 years old

He is like a bridge between two different worlds. He loves telling stories—even completely invented ones—to the group. From his fantasy he adds his own animals, puppets and vehicles to the world. Feeling a deep sense of responsibility, he co-operates directly with Jimmy Eight to take care of the other toddlers, as he himself has simultaneously the same age and is a member of the toddler group. He is there since 1970 and is named after an existing boy from childhood.

The leading part

*Jimmy Eight - 8 years old

As the King of the French- Netherlands (1970 - 1973), he learned to guide, take responsibility and invent. With his broad experience to fight the adult world, he started leading the creative process in 2023 as part of the identity restoration after foster care. Jimmy Eight brings back the joy of the group as a continuation of their creativity that they showed in the children's home in 1965 According to Jimmy Eight, there are other boys hidden in the Realm that influence his decisions.

Black Heart Boys

In the Realm, three boys are so called black heart boys. These are Tim, Alex and Rainbow Remi. They relate to a deep loss of those we once loved .The black heart is a symbol of deep connection and sympathy, based upon a never solved loss.