The laying of the foundation stone of the Peace Palace in 1907 coincided with the Second Hague Peace Conference. During this peace conference, an appeal was made to the countries represented to contribute to the newly built ‘Temple of Peace’. Many countries responded positively to this call and donated a work of art or building materials to express their support. This created a building of unprecedented international stature with a surprising variety of shapes and colours. Below is an overview of the national gifts.